The Little Things in Life
by Trinity Effect
Summary: Secrets and high school never mix; especially when your secret has to do with the King of the school. Bonds will be tested and hearts broken as a shy girl learns the hard way that growing up can happen faster than expected and all it takes is one mistake.
1. Chapter One: Déjà Vu

_My First attempt at SasuHina, but definitely not my last. This idea came to me because of the circumstances in my state and what it is known for, and this chapter has been sitting in my computer for a full year. I've finally gotten the confidence to post it. This story is dedicated to a certain group of people, that I can only post in later chapters or it will spoil the story. Please do enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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**Chapter One: Déjà Vu**

Hinata nervously sat in a desk in the front of the classroom, fingers at her mouth in nervousness of the day about to unfold.

The first day of senior year in high school.

Not only that, but she had to deal with meeting all her old friends from middle school, the very same ones she had runaway from. But it wasn't her choice whether she go to school here or not.

She shouldn't have come back.

If her father caught drift that she was back in town, he'd probably hunt her down and force her to come back home and put her under house arrest. Or worse yet, kill her for what she had done.

Why did she let _him _talk her into coming back?

Maybe because she could help seeing those onyx eyes tear up, or see him sniffle and pout, or maybe it was the way he would ignore her until he got his way? Who knew?

Hinata, being the good girl that she was (Literally in the past tense), had gotten to school thirty minutes early, gotten her schedule and rushed to her first period class, Economics, with twenty minutes to spare and met and became friends with the teacher already, Kurenai-sensei. She had to wake up at 5:30 am just to make it at this time, she had morning chores, had to pack lunch for two, not to mention…

"Hiya…you look familiar. You new?" Hinata jumped and looked up; blushing when she realized it was a rugged looking boy talking to her. Red tattoos on his face, ruffled brown hair, unbuttoned uniform with a wife beater underneath, and canine like teeth…to Hinata that was taboo. Boys (more like one boy in particular) in this school had been the cause of her trouble and she didn't think she could deal with them even after four years.

"U-um…yeah." She looked down and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. She wasn't standing but she still tugged at it to make it cover her as much as possible. Darn the school and its skimpy uniforms…

"Oh, well what's your name?" The boy leaned forward on her desk to hear her answer.

"H-Huug-…um well, I j-just go by H-h-Hinata." The boy raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"'H-h-Hinata…?'" Hinata blushed. Was he the bullying type? She hoped not.

"Well then, my name is K-k-kiba. Nice to meet'cha." He held a hand out for Hinata to presumably shake, but all she did was stare at it apprehensively a blush staining her cheeks. He awkwardly coughed into his raised fist and let his hand drop to his side, looking away. "So…can I sit next to you?" Even as he asked this, he was sitting down, smiling gently to her so she would see he meant no harm.

Hinata nodded stiffly and turned to stare at the chalk board, having nothing better to do as she waited for school to start. Kiba's not that bad, she thought after a few minutes, as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was lounging in his seat, legs propped up on his desk, listening to his music player, head nodding to the beat and hands hitting imaginary drums with equally imaginary drumsticks.

Hinata, growing bored, turned to the only other person in the room, Kurenai-sensei having to go to gather papers in the workroom, and told herself gruffly, _You promised you would be stronger this year! Prove it._

"Y-you like to p-p-play the d-drums…?" Hinata asked, blushing because she stuttered.

"Eh?! Sorry I can't hear you!" He yelled louder than necessary. He turned off the music and asked, in a quieter voice, "You say something?"

"O-oh, w-well, I was j-just a-asking i-if you like to play the d-drums…b-but I seemed to have b-b-bothered you…S-sorry." She looked down in shame. Kiba stared at her in shock for a moment, probably trying to figure out what she just said, for she had said it too quickly. But his face slowly broke into a grin and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I like the drums. I wanna start a band, I play the guitar too ya know. And by the way, you didn't bother me." Hinata's eyes lit up when he said he played musical instruments.

"Y-you p-play the guitar t-too? I p-play the Piano a-and I'm good with the k-keyboard…" Kiba's eyes widened too.

"Really?! That's so cool, maybe you can join my band and then…"

And they went on like this as the classroom filled up, people staring at Kiba and the 'new girl' as they talked animatedly. Hinata was enjoying herself so much, that she jumped when the bell rang and blushed when she realized everyone was staring at the two in the front of the room. It seemed like they were all staring at her but she realized when Kiba glared at all of the other people that they were staring at _him. _

"…Wow, he's actually sitting in the front…?"

"…Who would have thought? He never liked any of the girls…I thought he was gay for a while…"

"Yeah? Me too! I thought he was like, too 'cool' to talk to anybody except his friends."

"…Why can't Kiba talk to me like that…?"

"…'Cause you're like, totally not in his league…"

Hinata heard the tidbits of the conversation and was pretty shocked when she heard what they were saying. Was he that infamous for those things? Kiba looked at her and rolled his eyes, smirking slightly.

"Aww, don't listen to them, they're just pissy like usual." He waved it off as if it was nothing and turned to the front where Kurenai-sensei was writing her name on the board.

"Okay class, get over yourselves, summer is _over_." She turned back to the board and hit it with a ruler, making most of the people in the classroom jump. "My name is Kurenai-sensei, and I will be your homeroom/economics teacher. Don't think I'm a pushover, or you will be punished severely." The gorgeous red eyed woman gave Hinata a small smile and a wink. Then her eyes lighted on Kiba and she smirked. "Ah, Kiba, This is the first time I've seen you actually sit in the front, and actually awake I might add." Everyone laughed except Hinata and Kiba.

"Kurenai-sensei, what can I say, I've seen the light." And with that he made a dramatic gesture and look of awe. Everyone cracked up. Hinata wondered if the people here were sane. Was it the water they drink here? _Maybe I shouldn't drink any here…_

"As long as you do your work, I don't care what you've seen." Kurenai replied and picked up a stack of papers and began to pass them out. "Well, we are going to go right to business. I assume you all brought your books?" Everyone groaned and nodded. "Good. You will choose a partner today, and they will be your partner for the rest of the year. You two will be doing some worksheets that introduce you into Economics and the main concepts of this class. Before you choose partners however, I will do roll call."

"Psst. Hey, wanna be partners?" Kiba asked, leaning towards her slightly. Hinata smiled shyly and nodded. "Cool." And Kiba reclined in his seat again.

"Akimichi Chouji." A boy, a little on the chubby side with light brown hair, was sneaking a snack when he got called on.

"Here!"

Roll call had begun. _Please…let no one remember me…if they do…well, let's just hope…._

"Haruno Sakura."

"Here Sensei!" A girl with pink permed hair and emerald green eyes raised her manicured hand, smacking her gum loudly. _She's gotten so beautiful! _Hinata thought as she stared at Sakura. Her shoulder length hair was straight and her skin flawless. Her shirt was too tight and her skirt too short, but that only accented her nice figure, though she was lacking in the boobs department a little. Sakura turned to her and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow while mouthing 'What are you looking at?' Hinata blushed and looked away. Hinata was so caught up in blushing, she almost forgot to say 'here' when she was called on. Kurenai had already gotten to her?

"Huuyga Hinata."

"H-here." Hinata stuttered. She heard a few of the girls in the back giggle. She sighed in relief,_ they didn't remember me!_

"Inuzuka Kiba."

"Present."

And it continued this way until another familiar name came up. "Nara Shikamaru."

Pause.

"Nara Shikamaru!" Kurenai-sensei said a little louder.

"Oi, Shika, wake up!" A girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and blue eyes poked the sleeping pineapple haired boy awake.

"How troublesome…Here! Jeez…" Shikamaru said sleepily before his head hit the desk again, already dead asleep. Kurenai rolled her eyes and continued.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The reactions around the room were astounding. Hinata had frozen, stock still, back straight in shock. _S-s-s-Sasuke!_ Other girls were squealing with happiness and the boys were groaning, no women for them while the Uchiha was in the room. But no one answered the call.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Kurenai called three more times. Before she was about to mark him absent however, two people walked into the room, (More like one lounged into the room, and the other was jogging and totally out of breath). Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.

Hinata had had a crush on Naruto from the elementary school days, and that feeling had still not gone away, even after not seeing him for almost four years. If anything, it multiplied. Naruto was everything she was not, courageous, funny, loud, strong, things she wished she had in herself. _He's the reason I was able to survive for the past four years…!_

If possible, Hinata went even more rigid, the guy she had wanted to avoid the most and the guy she had wanted to see the most, standing side by side. Hinata paled and sunk into her chair. _Curse my luck! Sasuke…darn… _Kiba noticing this, asked, "What's wrong? Usually _all _of the girls are squealing with happiness when they see Uchiha Sasuke." Hinata turned a shade lighter.

"N-no…I-I don't like h-him at a-all."Kiba grinned.

"You are the first woman I've heard to say that. You've just become my idol." Hinata had to laugh at that.

"Ah, Naruto, Sasuke, so nice of you to join us. Finally. Take your seats." Hinata stared in horror as she realized the only seats available were in the front. Next to her. And a certain Uchiha was walking towards her.

Said Uchiha gave her a dark look and she turned away quickly, towards Kiba so as not to look at him as he sat down beside her. Hinata shuffled her chair closer to Kiba's side of the table and turned her body towards him as much as possible without looking suspicious. Kiba looked shocked for a moment but then just let it go with a shrug. Naruto sat down on Sasuke's other side and sighed heavily, panting.

Kurenai gave the two a suspicious look. "What were the two of you doing to make you both late _and _make Naruto so out of breath?" The guys laughed at the comment, the girls glared at Kurenai and then Naruto.

"Nothing that concerns you." The Uchiha didn't even try to deny it!

"What?! Sensei! I forget to set my alarm clock and so when Sasuke called me, I was really late and stuff so I asked him to give me a ride to school, and he did but then he kicked me out of the car and drove off. I had to run my ass off! And then I found Sasuke waiting at the school doors to tell me that I lost a bet that we had had three _years ago…_and…"

"Okay! I don't want to hear your life story Naruto!" Kurenai turned to Hinata. "Hinata, if you could please tell Sasuke and Naruto what they have to do while I finished roll call?" Hinata blushed and nodded reluctantly. She couldn't really disregard the teacher…

But it was Sasuke she had to talk to…

Hinata turned to the two boys and said quietly, blushing all the while, "H-Hello. M-my name is –H-Hinata, an-"

"I think we already know that. The teacher already said that." Sasuke interrupted rudely. Hinata blushed harder and looked at the ground nervously.

"O-Oh, w-well, you will b-b-be choosing p-partners an-and you have to w-work with t-them for the rest of t-the-"

"Stop stuttering. It's annoying." Hinata choked on her words. Why was he so mean?

"Sasuke cut her some slack, man." Naruto slapped Sasuke's arm and Sasuke thumped him over the head in reply. "Oww!" Naruto turned to Hinata and said kindly. "Go on with what you were saying, he won't bother you anymore." Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms angrily.

"Uh….w-well…" Hinata was losing confidence, and fast. "Y-y-you, w-well, y-you-"

"Us. Yes, I think we get that now. Or are you too stupid to compute?" Sasuke hissed. Hinata closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears away.

"What she means to say is, you guys will choose a partner today, and you will have to work with them for the rest of the year. Today we are going to work on an introduction packet in our groups." Kiba answered for Hinata, a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up gratefully at him and he gave her a grin.

"T-thanks." Hinata whispered quietly, looking down at her lap as Kurenai finished roll call and let the class start on their work.

"No problem. I hate it when people pick on others. And Uchiha is just plain aggravating." Hinata smiled at him and said quietly,

"I n-need to work on m-my people s-skills…"Kiba laughed along with her.

"Yeah I guess, but you seem okay around me. How do you know him anyways?"

"U-Uh well, f-from a-around, you k-know. And Sasuke can be…intimidating." Hinata whispered, taking a glance at the boy who was surrounded by girls wanting to be his partner.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Hinata blushed and nodded. As long as he didn't keep asking questions, everything was good. She should probably be more careful about that. She could get exposed and that would not be good at all. Kiba continued, "Well, anyways, all you gotta do is just imagine them in their underwear, and anyone, even Uchiha, will be easier to talk to." Hinata giggled and unbeknownst to her, Sasuke turned and stared at her out of the corner of his eye listening to her conversation.

"Y-yeah well, S-Sasuke i-in u-u-underwear…that's just plain n-nasty." Hinata made a face. _I've seen him in less than that too._

"Let's get to work before we get in trouble, eh? I mean, I don't care if I get in trouble, but it seems like you're a goody two shoes." Hinata blushed and nodded obediently, starting their homework.

"Naruto, you're my partner." Sasuke said simply, his eyes still trained on the lavender eyed girl. She seemed familiar…but from where?

"What?! You don't even let me have a say in the decision?!" Sasuke had to peel his eyes away from the lavender eyed girl, Hinata, to glare at the blonde boy beside him.

"My partner or not?" He gave Naruto a pointed look and the inflection in his voice said 'Don't disobey me'. Naruto sighed and relented.

"Fine…but I won't enjoy it." The fangirls went away, disheartened. Sasuke smirked and his eyes darted to Hinata, the only girl who did not look at him. She was talking animatedly and excitedly to Kiba. Were they going out? At first he had thought she was one of his fangirls, for all the stuttering she was doing. But it seemed that it was a normal thing for her. He felt slightly guilty for saying those rude things to her, but his Uchiha pride stopped him from apologizing.

But something was gnawing at his gut. Never had he seen a girl look away from him. And never did he lose to anyone else. Especially not someone like Kiba. She was intriguing.

Tearing his gaze away from her with a smirk on his face, he turned to the dumbfound Naruto who looked between Hinata and Sasuke, catching his gaze, he said, "Let's get to work dobe."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Hinata sighed in relief when the bell rang for lunch. As everyone stood and began walking to the cafeteria, Hinata slowly gathered her books, not looking forward to finding a place to sit. Suddenly Kiba appeared at her side, a smile on his face. "Wanna sit with us at lunch?" Hinata smiled in return.

"Please." Kiba smirked. They walked to the cafeteria side by side, talking about the classes and teachers they had had so far, when Hinata gasped in shock at the enormous cafeteria with its five different lines with a salad bar and gourmet looking food. "Wow! T-This is no-nothing like my old school! In m-my o-old school I was pretty sure their chocolate pudding was pureed c-cockroaches!"

"Eww…I did not need that image implanted in my brain, thank you very much, I was planning to eat something." Kiba said, making a disgusted face. Hinata blushed and apologized. "Well, on the other hand, why don't you come see the table and meet everyone…" Kiba leaned closer to Hinata and whispered, "Or should I say, 'everything'."

"Kiba! T-that's not v-very nice of you t-to say." Hinata scolded, trying hard not to laugh.

"Well, what can I say?" Kiba asked as he led her outside to the tables outside near a fountain. _This school sure is ritzy…_Hinata thought to herself as they walked up to a group of people who were very, to say the least, boisterous. Four boys and one girl were fighting and yelling over each other, reaching over the table grabbing things, sneaking food off of other's plates and etc. Hinata stared in shock. Is this what normal people did when they sat with their friends? She wouldn't know, she was the outcast at her old school seeing as her circumstances weren't ideal enough to be friends with anyone except the school librarian when she sat in the library and read books during lunch.

"Hey Everyone!" Kiba yelled as he jumped onto the fountain to get everyone's attention. Everyone stopped midway in their actions and turned to look at the unruly boy. "I would like you to meet Hinata, she's new this year." Everyone's gaze shifted to Hinata and there was an awkward moment of silence where the group and Hinata glanced at each other warily, Hinata had her books pressed against her chest and glanced at them fearfully. _I promised to be more open….._

"H-hello…my name is Hi-Hinata….please t-treat me k-k-kindly…"

No one said anything for a few moments after that and Hinata blushed and looked down at her feet. _Another failure…._

"Finally you bring another girl into the group! I was getting tired of being overpowered by stinky male-ness!" Hinata's head snapped up in shock and her eyes lighted upon the source of the voice. A girl with brown hair tied up into buns smiled gently at her and gave a small wave. Her uniform had been cut up in places to give a punk rocker vibe. Hinata couldn't help but wonder if that was against school rules. "Hii Hinata, I'm Tenten. It's nice to meet you." Hinata smiled back at her in silent thanks.

"H-hi Tenten." She replied. Kiba jumped down from his perch and grunted his approval next to her.

"Me! Me! I want to be introduced next!!" The boy next to Tenten yelled and he promptly stood up in his seat despite protests from the others. "I am Rock Lee! It is nice to see such a kind, youthful face in these hard times of school!!!!!! It warms my heart and renews the spirit of my soul with a fiery passion!!!!" Hinata blushed and averted her eyes at his display of emotion.

"Baka you're scaring her!" Another voice put in. "I'm Shikamaru." The boy stated from his lounging position in his seat. His spiky hair going every which way.

"I'm Shino." The boy across from him stated as well, he seemed to be playing with a bug collection of sorts. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Hinata smiled and nodded at him.

"I guess I'm last! I'm Chouji, I remember you!" Hinata winced and couldn't help keep the shock off her face.

"Y-you rem-remember m-m-me?" _Great my cover is blown already….._

"Yeah you're in our homeroom and first period!" he stated around his food as he chewed. Hinata mentally sighed. _Kami-sama…you're looking out for me…_

"Okay well then if everything is settled here, Hinata put down your stuff and we'll go get some grub." Kiba said pointing a thumb back towards the school and the so called 'grub'.

"Ano….I-I don't have a-any money…I brought m-my lu-lunch…" Hinata murmured.

"Well then just say so!" Kiba grinned. "I'll be back guys." And with that he took off for the school.

"Well don't just stand there! Come, Sit!" Tenten patted the seat on the other side of her that wasn't occupied. Hinata instantly followed her direction.

And just like that she was assimilated into the group as if they hadn't met just a few moments ago. Which in a way was true.

_None of them have changed at all in four years….it's astounding…I could get used to this….I was never that close to them before so…it shouldn't be too hard to make this work. I wonder what happened to Sakura though…we used to be best friends…_ Deciding to act on her thoughts she built up the courage to murmur,

"W-where's Sakura, N-n-naruto and al-all of t-them?" The others stilled and stared at her as if she were crazy.

"Why don't you see for yourself, here they come." Was Chouji's not so kind answer. Hinata turned to look in the direction they all pointed and her eyes widened in surprise.

Sakura, Naruto, and Ino walked out of the cafeteria and towards one of the most sought out spots in near the fountain; the exact opposite side of where they were. The fact that every teen in the vicinity literally moved out of their way consciously or not was what surprised Hinata so much.

Again Sakura's beauty hit Hinata and she felt especially plain just watching her. And now that she noticed it, all three of them were gorgeous and they knew it; you could tell in the way they held themselves. As they made their way over, Hinata noticed that most of the guys were literally drooling after the two bombshell beauties, and a few of the girls were watching Naruto appraisingly. _Why aren't that many people watching Naruto…? I mean, I think he's beautiful…maybe I have weird tastes?_

But her answer decided to walk out just as the trio was taking their seats.

"Now there is one amazing piece of artwork….art made by god himself…." Hinata heard Tenten murmur from beside her. And there were sudden outbursts from all the girls in the area just by his presence.

Uchiha Sasuke.

His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his slacks, which, along with his shirt, seemed to show off his well built body and make him look like a model. All the other teenage boys looked lanky and awkward in their uniforms compared to him. _Well except for Naruto-kun…_ Sasuke's pale skin and dark hair contrasted greatly and his attitude gave a whole new meaning to 'Tall, dark, and handsome'. Hinata had to admit he was beautiful, but she knew well enough that he was cold and calculating on the inside. _H-he sits so close to o-our table…?! But I c-can't just leave…._When her mind started stuttering, Hinata knew she was close to a fainting spell.

As the man of her sudden illness reached his table, his eyes happened upon Hinata and his eyes sparked with recognition. Hinata blushed but couldn't look away. Suddenly, his emotionless mask broke and Hinata saw the cold person she had come to associate him with. With a cold smirk and a sarcastic nod of his head, Sasuke sat down beside Naruto who started to strike a conversation with the dark hair male.

It seemed like time had finally sped up because Hinata was suddenly aware of an outburst at her table. "Hinata! I didn't know you were on such good terms with Sasuke!" Tenten squealed. Sasuke smirked as he heard this, unbeknownst to Hinata's group. This is where she would lose. _She will start gushing about how she and I are dating secretly, or some other nonsense….any moment now._

"A-ano…I d-don't k-know him…I only m-met h-h-him t-today and I d-didn't g-get a good im-impression of him at a-all…" Hinata murmured into her bento.

Sasuke visibly stared straight ahead of him in shock, head still resting in his hands. Naruto took this as the perfect chance.

"What happened Teme?! Did you sit down too hard with that stick up your ass?! AHAHAHAHA!" Sasuke promptly hit the idiot.

"Shut it Urusatonkachi. I'll stick something up your ass if you don't shut up." That girl was intriguing indeed. _She seems to really have something against me. That or she's the first girl to not like me…Intriguing indeed._

OoOoOoOoO

"Hey Hinata, you wanna come over and hang out at my place? We're planning on having a movie night!" Tenten asked Hinata as they headed out afterschool.

"Ano, I-I can't, I'm s-sorry! I have t-to go do something and I c-can't be late!" And with that Hinata sped off towards the bus stop.

"Ah….okay….maybe next time…?" Tenten trailed off as she found that Hinata was no longer in sight. She shrugged and went off to find the others.

_Why is she rushing off like that? What is so important that has a teenage devote on getting there on time….?_ Sasuke moved away from the wall and walked to his car briskly, trying to stay away from fangirls. _I have a strange urge to follow her…She's really interesting…_

Just as Sasuke was about to pull out onto the street and follow the dark haired girl, a figure jumped onto his hood. Startled, he put on his brakes suddenly, rolling the object off by accident. The said object suddenly was on the passenger side of his car, banging on the door and begging to be let in. _Stupid Naruto getting in my way all the freaking time…!_ Sasuke sighed but unlocked the door anyways. _I guess Hinata's a lost cause now…_

"Thanks man I thought you were going to leave me! Did you forget we have work? Twister Ice Cream shop it is!" Naruto yelled and pointed in its general direction like the captain of ship.

_Oh yeah….I forgot about that…Oh well…Next time._

"Ahoy Captain." Sasuke drawled, and they were off.

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_A common misperception of Sasuke's personality is that he never talks and that he is a recluse. (I've watched countless Naruto episodes and read the manga numerous times before I wrote this to capture his personality as much as possible). He tends to resemble a dog, he needs something to stimulate his mind, and he tends to get focused on one thing once he's caught. I hope I'm capturing this now. Please feel free to review and correct any errors I make. (sorry for reposting, I caught some mistakes and corrected them...)  
_

_Trinity Effect_


	2. Chapter Two: Happenstance or is it?

_Well here's chapter two. Thank you for all the nice reviews, they were really sweet. I'm sorry I didn't reply to them as I usually do, but I've been busy with classes…(don't take college courses during the summer…..trust me you're gonna be missing out on all the fun like me.) Of course, where I live, I'm missing out on heat stroke, which I'm not complaining:)__. Triple digit temperatures can kill, we actually have a temperature warning where I am, where we're advised to stay indoors at certain times of the day. Funny huh? Well please do enjoy this chapter as I sit in front of a fan and try to cool off._

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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**Chapter Two: Happenstance….or is it?**

The next morning Hinata got to class at the exact same time as the previous day, Kiba was already seated at his desk and he waved cheerfully as he saw Hinata. Hinata smiled back, still a little shy.

"Yo." Kiba greeted.

"H-hi Kiba-san…" Hinata took her seat beside him and took out her schedule. _Today there are whole new classes! I already have to deal with meeting new people in my first four, why do I have to go to four totally new ones today….whoever thought of A/B schedules is dumb…Hm…I had Economics, English, Free Period, and Japanese Literature yesterday…today is homeroom, Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, and….oh god….gym!_

"What's that?" Kiba peered from over her shoulder.

"Wahh!" Hinata screamed and jumped. Contact with boys was too much for the poor girl to handle. "K-Kiba-san…don't d-do that! You scared m-me…" Kiba chuckled and then suddenly frowned.

"Kiba….'-san'?" He looked at her in confusion. "Why suddenly so formal? You were calling me Kiba just fine yesterday…"

Actually, last night as she finally hit the bed at a terrible three in the morning, Hinata had pondered her first day of school and had been appalled to find that in the excitement of all the things that happened, Hinata had forgotten to be respectful and called everyone, people she barely knew, by their first names so informally! If her father had seen her he would have shaken his head in disappointment…of course, that was if he didn't kill her for what she had _already_ done…And so she had decided to start on good terms the next morning.

"Ano….It's r-respectful…"

"You make me sound like an old man! If you don't want to talk to me, then just keep calling me that!" Hinata's eyes widened in shock.

"E-eh?! But I…then what should I-I c-call you….?" Hinata blushed and stared at her hands, hesitant to call him anything else.

"Kiba. But if you absolutely _have to_…Kiba-kun is fine…" He sighed in defeat. He knew that she would probably stop talking to him in order to continue to call him 'Kiba-san' just because she thought it was the right thing to do.

"D-demo…h-hai….K-Kiba-k-kun…" Hinata looked up for a moment but as soon as their eyes met Hinata turn cherry red and wrung her fingers in her lap.

"Man, who knew you were so _old-fashioned._"

"O-old f-fashioned?!" Hinata looked up at him, startled. "I'm, I'm not old fashioned….just respectful…" She had forgotten all about her previous shyness, being around Kiba tended to do that to her. He reminded her of someone special, the only one she could pretty much open to. They acted pretty much the same….

"Hai, hai, whatever…" His tone was sarcastic, but his grin melted away all bitterness in his tone. "But anyways…" He snatched the innocent piece of paper on Hinata's desk. Hinata gasped and reached for it, but it was already out of her grasp. "What's this…? Hey we have Biology together! Maybe we could be partners or something!" Hinata smiled and nodded.

"That w-would be f-fun…" Her voice trailed off as another person walked into the room.

"Oi, Uchiha, you've been late recently…what's up with that?" Kiba asked him as the dark haired male walked towards them, and his seat.

"Been busy…with stuff." Hinata startled by their company, literally turned her whole body around in her seat at his arrival and looked only at Kiba. Again, Kiba was confused by her actions.

"Oh really? Stuff? You're usually here before me…" Hinata's eyes widened at the news. Usually here early…!

"Hn."

Deeming that the conversation was over, Sasuke pulled a book out of his bag and began to read silently beside the other two teens.

"Ne, Hinata, what's wrong..? You were talking normally before…" Hinata shook her head so forcefully her hair rippled around her.

"U-U-uncomfortable…" was all the poor girl could muster.

"Well, class will start in a bit so there's no need to worry…" Kiba watched her with concerned eyes.

Another pair of black, onyx eyes peered at her from behind a book, but in interest. _So my presence physically makes her sick_…He didn't know if he should savor the moment or be angry at her reaction. He wasn't disgusting or anything…

It was another ten minutes before other kids started appearing, and only then did Hinata visibly relax a little.

_If Kiba acts like him…Sasuke actually looks like him….it's kinda scary…there's no difference at all, but of course, why would there be…? I miss him now…_

Sasuke just lazed through Homeroom, his eyes glancing towards the girl on his left every once and a while as the dobe talked loudly into his right ear.

"And now class, I would like to introduce a little 'game' we play in my class…called the who-Failed-Well-Guess-What-Everyone- is -going-to-find-out game!" Kurenai-sensei stated in a sarcastically cheery voice. "Even though it's homeroom, I've graded all your papers last night, and I have decided to see who got the best scores!" Kurenai-sensei gave hard looks to some students who started sweating profusely. "And let's begin!" Almost anyone could have heard the audible gulp the class made as she picked up the first paper. "Come to my desk as I call out your name…Haruno Sakura, 71."

Hinata almost thought she had to clean out her ears. _71?! But….Sakura used to be the number one student in our class!_ The said girl strutted over to the desk and said in a shrill voice "Thank you Kurenai-sensei!" As she walked back to her seat she made sure to move her hips even more so when she past Sasuke, even bringing up the gall to wink at him. Most of the girls in the class sighed sadly. If only they were as close to Sasuke as Sakura was….

And so everyone was called up on by one, no one making above a 90. Hinata was biting her nails in anticipation; she hated waiting for something so nerve-wracking.

"Uzumaki Naruto, 12." Hinata almost fainted. Her beloved Naruto only got a 12?!

Naruto walked up to the desk looking slightly embarrassed. "Eh heh….guess I didn't understand the stuff as well as I thought I did…"

"Thought you did? That was an utter failure Naruto; you got the lowest grade in the class!" Kurenai glared at him and then Sasuke sharply. "What surprises me is that when it's a group effort, one gets the lowest grade, and the other gets the second highest grade. Sasuke, 100."

"There must be a mistake." Sasuke stated when he got up to get his paper.

"No, no mistake, unless you want a zero?" Kurenai smirked.

"No that's not what I mean. Second highest score? Meaning there was more than 100 points?" Sasuke glared at his sensei.

"How intuitive of you. Yes that's what it means. There were 105 points available."

"Then why is my paper a 100?" Sasuke growled, his paper crumpling slightly in his forcefulness as he took it from her.

Kurenai's smirk grew more pronounced and she whispered so only Sasuke could hear. "Why don't you see for yourself? But not here, go sit down." Aggravated, Sasuke didn't bother to look; he just crumpled up his paper into a ball and threw it at the waste basket across the room.

It made it.

All the girls squealed and the guys grumbled.

"No noises!"

Hinata was positively dying on the inside. Kiba and I are the last ones left! Oh god…

"Inuzuka Kiba, 95." He cheered and jumped into the air exclaiming that it was his first grade above a seventy. He thanked Hinata as he sat back down.

And then finally hers. "Hinata, 105."

She sighed, relieved but still self-conscious of making the best grade in the class. She was so nervous that she tripped on her way up to the teacher. She blushed madly as many of the girls and some guys laughed.

"Good job Hinata, I was very impressed. You just got here to this school and yet you did better than everyone else in this class, most of who were here for the last two years. Tell me, what school did you transfer from?" Kurenai talked to Hinata in an affectionate tone, almost like a mother to her favorite child.

"D-do I h-have to s-say…?" Hinata whispered, not wanting the class to hear. _They might find out something if I say it out loud…_

"Please do, I would really like to know." Kurenai gave her a comforting smile.

_I guess it couldn't hurt…and I can't just say no to a teacher…_"I tran-transferred from S-S-Suna H-High…" There were similar looks of shock on the teacher and students' faces when she stated that. What was wrong with Suna?

"Suna?! Suna is well known for the gangsters, drug dealers and overall terrible dropout rate anywhere!" Kurenai exclaimed, shocked. "Oh well, as they say you can't judge the basket of apples just because one's a pear…" Hinata walked back to her seat, feeling very much like dying. _Do they even say that…? I'm sure she got the quote mistaken…_

The rest of class went by awkwardly for Hinata, many people giving her apprehensive looks, especially the two boys on either side of her. Kiba looked like he wanted to ask her something, a frown on his face. Sasuke on the other hand was now very intrigued.

_Suna High, huh? Very interesting that such a tentative, shy girl would come from a tough school such as that. That seems highly unlikely. Either she's lying about coming from there….or she's not as much of a goody two shoes as she lets on…she doesn't seem like she could pull off lying very well though. Maybe she's in the Akatsuki and her shy demeanor is just a front…_One glance at her said hell no._ No way could she do that. I want to find out what it is, she just gets more and more intriguing…maybe that was why she ran off yesterday._ Once Sasuke was pulled out of his boredom in life, it was hard for him to let go, it was rare he got the chance to do something interesting anyways.

Hinata laid her head on her desk for the remainder of homeroom and only moved when the bell for first period rang.

OoOoOoOoO

It seemed Hinata's day could only get worse from there.

She walked into her first period class of the day, Chemistry, and was met at the door by her teacher, Kabuto-sensei. He smiled lightheartedly at her and asked her to pull a piece of paper out of a bowl. She did and proceeded into the room, dazed from the previous class's events.

A quick sweep around the classroom and her heart sunk when she found none of her friends were in the class with her.

"Hinata." A voice came up from a lab table towards the back of the room.

"Eh?" Hinata's eyes lighted upon the source of the voice and she smiled. "S-Shino-san! I, I didn't n-n-notice you t-there…" She made her way over to him and sat on the stool across from him.

"No one ever really does notice me. I thought we were friends?" Shino leaned forward, and Hinata could not place the vibes coming off from him.

"O-of course w-w-we a-are!" Hinata was positively dying of shame. _Funny how I feel like dying a lot today…is it a sign?_ "I'm s-s-so sorry S-shino-san…will you f-forgive m-me?" She looked up hopefully into his eyes. His collar was pulled up to cover his mouth, so she felt other than saw him smile.

"When you ask so sweetly who could resist Hinata?" Hinata smiled back and looked around the classroom once again. She recognized Ino, Sakura, _Sasuke_, and a few others. She audibly gulped. _Those _people…

"It s-s-seems you're my only f-friend in this c-class…" Hinata stated sadly.

"Mine as well. But this is a good opportunity to meet new people is it not?" Shino raised an eyebrow, his voice still monotone.

"H-Hai!" Hinata smiled nervously and then pensively looked down at her piece of paper. "What d-do y-you think these p-papers are f-for?" It had a number seven in bright red marker.

"Hm, no idea." Shino turned to the front where Kabuto-sensei looked ready to start the class. "I think we will find out shortly."

"Hello class, my name is Kabuto-sensei. Welcome to fifth period Chemistry. We will be starting with a simple experimental lab today, something you should have done last year. We will start this today, and finish it in three days." Kabuto pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose. "A lot of you are probably wondering what those slips of paper I gave you are. They are your lab table assignments. You will be there for the remainder of the year. And the people at each table will be partners. Since there are twenty of you, there will be six groups of three and one of two. Move to your lab table and proceed! There are lab packets at each table." Shuffling and talking ensued.

_Table seven…I'm at my table already! Good…I don't have to embarrass myself by moving…_"Ano, S-Shino-san w-what table do you h-have?"

"Table four…Sorry Hinata but I will have to leave you now. I hope you get a good partner." And with that Shino was off. Hinata, deciding to start looking at the lab packet while she waited for her partner to arrive, reached for the sheets, only to drop them. She looked around quickly to see if anyone noticed. Everyone was too busy. _Oh, clumsy me...! What will my partner think of me? I hope I get someone nice…_She thought as she reached down to pick up the papers.

After standing up and seeing who her partner was Hinata wondered if she bent down and got up again, she could somehow get a redo. _I wish life was like that…_

"Ahem, I would like my paper," The boy gave a pointed look in the direction of her hands, where the papers were being clutched tightly. "If you don't mind." Hinata stared in shock at the boy in front of her. _S-S-Sasuke!_

Deeming her too stupid to move, Sasuke reached over and pried his paper out of her hands, rolling his eyes as he straightened it out on the desk. And they got to work.

They were by far the fastest group of them all. They had already finished two of the experimental lab sections and were on the third when Sasuke finally broke the silence. "Hand me the tongs." Sasuke held his hand out for it as he watched the crucible's bottom burn red hot. Hinata's hands shook as she reached over to grab it. _Ohmyohmyohmyohmyohmyohmyohmy!_ Was the only thing the poor girl could think as she tried to hold on to her sanity.

On the other hand, Sasuke was getting impatient.

Hinata finally put the tongs in his hand after much delay and he growled in annoyance. "Took you long enough…" He grumbled under his breath. _This girl is so scared of me, it's kind of exciting…_Sasuke inwardly smirked as Hinata was looking at her paper absentmindedly, pencil in her mouth slightly as she thought. They had a silent agreement that Sasuke would do the actual experiment and Hinata would do all the calculations. _I want to mess with her._

"You like sucking on that pencil?" Sasuke gave her his famous glare. Hinata squeaked and jumped slightly.

"E-e-eh?! N-n-no!" Hinata was not so innocent as to not catch the sexual innuendo.

Sasuke leaned over the table and whispered, "It's okay if you do, I mean I won't judge you or anything. Maybe that's why you're always so nervous around guys…it's because that's all you can think about right?" Hinata blushed cherry red and stared at his as if he was a monster.

"I-I d-d-don't t-think about s-s-s-stuff like t-that…" _Oh gosh my heart's pounding…I think I might faint…!_

"Whatever, make yourself useful and take the crucible off the cooling rack and measure its mass." Sasuke turned to start reading the next step. "And quickly if you don't mind, I want to get through this as soon as possible." Hinata blushed and nodded silently, her eyes on the ground.

_She's so shy. But it's so entertaining…She was about to drop dead right there._ Sasuke watched her as she quickly walked over to the massing area and placed the crucible on the scale. She worked efficiently he admitted. _She can keep up with me, which is a good thing. The only thing is she's too scared of me to do much. We're already done with the whole thing and there's still ten minutes of class left…Kabuto said it would take three days._ Sasuke looked around at the other lab tables curiously.

_Now I see what he meant by three days…_All the other students were making mistakes, having problems calculating and so on. The experiments themselves wouldn't take three days, Kabuto knew that it would be tough for a lot of the students and had adjusted the time accordingly. _We split the work, all I have to do is copy her calculations and we'll almost be done. Just have to write up the lab report…_

Meanwhile, the girls of the class were positively seething in rage, namely a blonde, red haired and a pink haired girl. "Did you see that guys?! He's talking to her more than he does to anyone. She has some nerve…"

"I so totally know what you mean! I want to hit her so bad right now…" Ino drawled, glaring at the girl accusingly as she innocently massed her crucible.

"Why don't you trip her and make her look stupid? Kabuto-sensei would absolutely flip if his equipment is even scratched!" Karin whispered, giggling at the thought and was instantly joined by Ino.

"Yeah, we should show her who gets close to Sasuke-kun…" Sakura smirked.

_God why couldn't I get someone else other than Sasuke?_ Hinata thought to herself as she released the tongs and placed the crucible on the scale. _He makes me feel so uncomfortable…and he knows it. He toys with me and is very rude towards me. He never usually talks to anyone else…why me?_

_Didn't you promise you would be stronger here? Turn over a new leave? I have to be strong. I can't be dependent. I have to be strong for the two of us…And Sasuke is the ultimate test. He was the reason for my leaving. I will not back down. I will show him I'm not some little play thing! _Hinata nodded her head to herself in determination and heard giggles and a 'What a freak!' from the table of girls beside her. She blushed and looked down, ashamed. _Oh goodness…_

As she made her way back to her table, she noticed Sasuke was copying down the calculations while she was gone, facing her. _I will be confide- What?!_

Hinata was falling. At this rate the crucible would shatter against the table! _No!_

Hinata fell against the table, and she looked up, waiting for the crash that would signify the crucible hitting the unforgiving table.

There was no such noise.

Hinata's eyes found Sasuke's staring in shock as he smirked at her, the crucible in his palm.

"Wow you really are clumsy aren't you?" Hinata gasped. The crucible was still too hot to touch!

"U-U-Uchiha-san y-your h-hand…" Sasuke just shrugged and pulled the tongs from her grasp. _Uchiha-san huh? _Using his other hand, he pried the crucible off his hand to find a huge red welt burning across his palm. "It stings…" He stated nonchalantly and raised his hand.

"Yes Sasuke?" Kabuto called out.

Sasuke just showed the teacher his injury and stated, "Nurse."

"What happened?!" Kabuto asked, worried. They would take a chunk of his salary for this, he was sure.

"Not being careful." Sasuke replied monotonously and walked out of the room. He had the whole class's attention by that point. As he passed Hinata, he murmured for only her ears, "You _owe _me."

"Hinata, go with him." Kabuto handed Hinata the hall pass.

"E-eh?! C-can't you a-a-assign someone e-else?" Instantly all the other girls' hands shot up.

"I'll go Kabuto-sensei!" Sakura called out, smiling sweetly even though it was her fault that Sasuke was hurt in the first place. _Maybe Sasuke-kun and I can play Doctor…! That girl is crazy for not wanting to go!_

"Hinata, as his partner, you have an obligation to go." Kabuto gave her a pointed look.

"H-hai…" Hinata mumbled and let herself out of the classroom.

Instantly everyone started talking about the incident and how it was terrible Sasuke had gotten hurt because of 'that one girl'.

"All because of her Sasuke-kun was hurt!" Sakura huffed angrily and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know! And then did you see her? I totally think she wanted to go with him but didn't want to admit it!" Ino added, pouting. "I wanted to go with him…I'd make him feel like he was cured in a second…"

"Ha, whatever, Sasuke-kun only likes me; you guys are out of luck!" Karin smirked.

"Well it was your idea to trip her in the first place!" Sakura and Ino teamed up against her.

"You were the one who tripped her." And then Karin just shrugged. "At least I'm not the one who dropped the crucible."

"You're right…"Ino and Sakura murmured.

"That white-eyed freak is going down."

OoOoOoOoO

"What is it you need?" The nurse asked in an exasperated tone as Hinata made her in the door.

"A-ano…Kabuto-sensei s-sent m-me t-to accompany U-Uchiha-san…he hurt his hand…." _Because of me…_Hinata thought silently.

"He's in the resting room, second door on your right." She pointed to the hallway behind her desk.

"T-thank you N-nurse-san…" Hinata mumbled and started walking where she was directed.

"My name is Shizune and thank you for being respectful…you're the first one all day…" Shizune sighed into her chair and Hinata sympathized. She understood that exhausted feeling.

"You're welcome; my name is H-Hyuuga H-Hinata…" She glanced back in the direction of Sasuke. "W-well I m-must b-be going…" And Hinata ran off, blushing madly. _Hmmm what a sweet girl. _Shizune thought as she watched the girl run.

Hinata made it to the resting room but was afraid to enter. _He's just going to be rude again…_Hinata hung her head in defeat. _I can't keep up with him…he scares me…even after all this time…all my suffering was because of him…I know I was to blame too but he's what a ran away from…him and my family. But…as he said….I owe him. I can't back down anymore._ She placed her hand on the door handle in determination. _Naruto-kun would do it. And he would do it with confidence. _Bringing the blonde's face foremost in her mind, she took a deep breath and opened the door. _Give me strength Naruto-kun…._

"Anyone ever tell you to knock?"

_Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun! _Hinata chanted in her head like a mantra as she walked towards the only body in the room and source of her problems. Looking up shyly Hinata asked, "D-did t-they check y-your h-hand….?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Sasuke asked and showed her his bandaged hand. They had worked quickly and efficiently.

"A-ano….I-I'm s-s-sorry Uchiha-san….." Hinata fumbled her fingers and blushed at the ground beside his bed.

"Whatever. I'm assuming you heard me? You owe me. I don't do anything for anyone without something in return." Sasuke smirked as he said this. _I can get her to do whatever I want…The pain is worth it in this case…_The next words he heard however made his smirk falter.

"I-I wouldn't e-expect a-any less f-from the i-infamous U-Uchiha S-S-Sasuke…" And as soon as she said that Hinata gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, staring at him in horror. She hadn't realized she'd said the words aloud…!

"Well then you expected correctly." Sasuke was positively seething. Of course he didn't really care what she thought of him…but just hearing someone say that to his face, especially this baby faced girl made him absolutely frustrated. _Time to get even…_"Well then I think I know what my payment will be." He looked up and caught Hinata's eyes.

"Pleasure me."

"E-Excuse m-me…?" Hinata seemed to be choking on air. At this rate she would suffocate.

Smirking the dark haired boy answered simply, "You heard me."

Trying to keep the events of that night at bay, Hinata straightened up to her full height and said in a surprisingly calm voice. "I would never touch you in that way willingly Uchiha-san. Debt or not, I'm not _that _indebted to you. That is absolutely disgusting." Hinata finally looked up and stared straight into his eyes. _That was the last straw._

"Hmm…that's too bad. I was looking forward to it." Uchiha Sasuke was never down for the count. _Passed…with an A+._

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata was sure she was going to die from an aneurysm at that point. _I can't believe I said that to Uchiha Sasuke…!_ She had remained a delightful cherry red ever since the little encounter. Hinata looked at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye and they walked out of the Office and towards their next classes.

Suddenly Sasuke stopped in his tracks and bowed respectfully. "Tsunade-sama." Sasuke greeted politely. Hinata looked between Sasuke and the supposed Tsunade-sama confused. Sasuke turned slightly to her and hissed, "Bow!" Hinata did what she was told.

"Ah, Uchiha Sasuke…" The busty blonde woman with amber eyes replied, a smirk on her face. As she looked at Hinata though, her eyes widened and a smile graced her features. "And this must be the new student Hyuuga Hinata..."

Sasuke elbowed her sharply and Hinata gasped and responded, "A-ano h-hai…" She blushed at the ground as usual. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Tsunade caught this and her smirk was back, full force.

"It is a pleasure to meet you; I'm the Head Principal, Tsunade." She then turned towards her office. "If you would please come with me to my office, I would like to get more acquainted with you, as I do with all my students." Tsunade gave Hinata a comforting smile and Hinata nodded instantly. Anything to get away from Sasuke. "This way then."

Sasuke decided he was not needed anymore, bowed respectfully once again and left without so much as a word.

"Hinata please make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?" Tsunade asked the shy girl as they sat in her office. It had an amazing view of the school grounds and featured a mini-fridge with an assortment of drinks, most of them, to Hinata's shock with alcohol.

"A-ano n-no thank y-y-you…" Hinata blushed and fiddled her thumbs nervously.

"Ah okay…"Tsunade sat down and watched Hinata quietly for a moment before finally speaking, leaning forward as she did so. "I think Hinata-chan, if I may call you that?" Hinata nodded. "Well Hinata-chan, I think I will get straight to the point. I know about your circumstances." Hinata's eyes widened in shock. _She knows?!_

Tsunade stood up and walked around the desk to stand before the timid girl. "Well I must say I was surprised to see you and the Uchiha on such good terms to be honest an-"

"We-we're not o-on g-g-g-good terms…" Hinata stared resolutely at the ground, not even an earthquake would shake her. _It's over. I've been found out. I'll be expelled…what principal in their right minds would keep me here knowing about me…?_

"Oh really? Then the hallway…"

"W-was b-by ch-chance…"

Tsunade moved to crouch in front of Hinata, bringing herself to Hinata's eye level. "Are….are you crying…?" and it was true. No matter how hard Hinata tried to keep the tears at bay, they just kept coming.

"P-please T-Tsunade-sama I h-have n-n-nowhere e-else to g-go…! If y-you e-expel me, I-I'll u-understand w-why but p-please give m-me a chance…! I-I'm a h-hard worker a-and I do well to k-keep my grades u-up! S-so P-please…" Hinata had not looked up once during her plea, she watched her hands wring themselves countless times, unable to keep a hamper on her emotions.

Hinata gasped as she was engulfed in a hug.

"There, there my poor thing." Tsunade rubbed Hinata's shoulder gently as she cried into her chest. "I was never going to expel you."

"You w-weren't?" Hinata mumbled into Tsunade's shirt.

"No! I wanted to offer my help to you. I know that you didn't get as far as you did without hard work and sheer survival. I want to help you in any way possible. Tell me something, does Uchiha know about you…and him?" Tsunade pulled away gently to look into Hinata's distraught eyes. They seemed to dampen more as she stated Sasuke.

"N-no…I-I don't w-want to say a-anything…" Hinata sniffled and continued. "I-If word g-got a-around, it w-would n-not b-be a pretty sight…and h-he w-would never t-take responsibility…." Tsunade's heart went out to the poor teenager.

"You never know Hinata-chan…he could…" Tsunade watched patiently as Hinata wiped her tears on her sleeve messily.

"I-It's okay T-Tsunade-sama….I've taken c-care o-of the situation m-myself f-for this long…."

"Okay I won't push it any further for now. Rest a bit and return back to classes okay? And if you need anything, I will always be of assistance." Tsunade slipped a piece of paper into Hinata's hands and stood up quickly. "I have some work to attend to, take as long as you need."

"T-thank y-you Tsunade-sama…"Hinata murmured, her heart lifting a little as she read the address and phone number listed on the small paper. Finally it seemed someone else was on her side in Konoha.

OoOoOoOoO

News of Hinata's mishap with Sasuke had reached the whole school as she made it to her lunch table. No one in her group pestered her about it thankfully; they had already heard the story.

"Hinata, how're you holding up?" Kiba asked gently as she sighed into her bento. The day was so exhausting and it wasn't even halfway through yet…

"F-fine…I t-think…" Hinata stopped the tears from pooling.

"That doesn't sound fine sweetie…"Tenten rubbed her back comfortingly. "Don't worry it'll blow over in a day or two…"

"Y-yeah…"

"Well I was thinking, maybe you'd like to have a movie night at my house with us? I mean whenever you can come over…" The others gave Tenten the thumbs up. That should cheer Hinata up.

"Hmm…s-s-sure I-I'd have t-to see when t-though…" Hinata said absentmindedly, her mind wandering to other events.

"Sure, of course. It's settled then!"

Sasuke watched Hinata quietly at his table. _Hmm…this rumor stuff seems to be taking a toll on her…whatever, not my problem._

"Yeah I texted everyone on my list, that's like the whole school pretty much." Sasuke heard Karin tell Sakura as they ate their vegan salads, something about absolutely no carbs, or protein, or nutrients for that matter.

"Good. We have to get everyone in on it. No one should not know about what that Hinaba girl did to Sasuke!" Sakura smirked. Sasuke sighed. Of course she was behind it.

"Sakura."

"E-eh?! Yes Sasuke-kun? Is there something you need?" Sakura batted her eyelashes at him seductively.

"Stop telling people about Chemistry. You make me sound pathetic for getting injured."

"W-what?! No, never Sasuke-kun! You can never be pathetic!" Sakura gasped in shock. _Don't hate me please…._

"Good. Then stop. And meet me at my house tonight so we can work on that 'extra credit' assignment."

Sakura smiled in triumph. "Of course Sasuke, Right after school! We'll need to work for a loooong time….."

_At least I know I won't be denied by Sakura…_

"Extra credit project? But I thought school just started…" Naruto chose that moment to actually be smart.

"No Baka you're wrong, just shut up and eat your ramen."

"I'm wrong….then how long have we been in school and how come I never knew?!"

That boy needed to learn to tell when someone was lying….seriously.

OoOoOoOoO

The rest of the day passed by quickly, the other thing eventful there was that all of her classes were with the resident Uchiha. As if Tsunade had purposely changed their schedules to be the same…Hinata was starting to suspect she might have.

Hinata sped off as soon as the bell rang again, her hair whipping by her as she ran towards her destination. Why was the place so far away…!

This was going to become a problem…Maybe she should look into buying a car with her funds…forget about a car. Maybe a bike. Yeah…

* * *

_Well here it is….I will be introducing the 'secret' in the next chapter most probably. In that case, I will be stating for whom this story is dedicated in the next chapter. Be warned though, the secret is definitely not what you'd expect. I'm glad many people caught my subtle hints through the chapters so far. If you'd like to guess what it is, by all means sent me a PM or review and I will tell you if you are right or not. Thank you for reading and reviewing, it's nice to know people enjoy reading this story. Please feel free to review, until next time._

_Trinity Effect_


	3. Chapter Three: Notice

_Uhm, well I've already finished writing this chapter…so I thought I might as well post it! It's a little long compared to my other chapters, but that's because a whole lot happens. I said I would state who this story was dedicated to, and it might be a little corny, but I wanted to dedicated it to all teenage moms out there. I watched the 20/20 story on teen pregnancies, and it amazing how much they have to go through. And although I truly believe they brought it on themselves to make the decision, (if it had been their choice, because sometimes it's not always the case…) and should take the consequences, I also believe that they end up, if they come out of it being strong, a lot better than a lot of us for going through something so emotional. Also, the secret is revealed here in this chapter, though if my clues hit you like they were supposed to, it should not be a surprise. Please Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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**Chapter Three: Notice**

For the rest of the week Hinata waited until the last possible second to get to school so she wouldn't have to see Uchiha Sasuke's face first thing.

Of course she didn't have the luxury of not seeing it at all.

Surprisingly, the day's events had gone by pretty quick with no mishaps to account for and Hinata couldn't help but wonder if it was the calm before the storm. _Nothing is ever this calm and normal in my life. Makes me think of life before it changed…though I'd probably never want to return to such a boring lifestyle. _She had come to terms with her life and the way it went; she had promised to keep going and she would, as her changed self, continue on that path.

She had gotten through homeroom and first period with no problems whatsoever and quietly sent a prayer up to the heavens to keep the peace for a little while longer.

Later on Hinata would wonder if she should have sent it down below.

OoOoOoOoO

"President-san hasn't been in school for the past few days, do you know if he's been sick?" A girl walked and talked with her friend blushing heavily. "I was wondering if I should take a fruit basket to his house to make him feel better…."

"Silly, he's not sick! He was at a karate competition in China!"

"Really? I bet he got first pl-President-san!!" The girl gasped and bowed low in apology as she bumped into the student body president. The boy, who had been busy looking at reports and papers when the accident happened looked up in surprise and bowed slightly in return, his long hair sweeping in from of his face as he did so.

"I'm terribly sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going. But I must be going, sorry for taking up your time." He stood to his full six-foot-one height and headed off to the Student Council Room.

"Kyaaaaah! Did you see that?? President-san apologized to me!" The girl screamed and swooned.

_Why is it that I get that reaction from so many girls?_ The boy pondered as he sat down in his designated chair. _Women…I'll never understand them._

The President of the student body went through the papers that had accumulated while he was off at the competition. _Nothing new, all the same boring usual things. Complaints about lost erasers and bullying…_His eyes lighted upon a manila folder with a girl's picture paperclip-ed to the front. Shocked at the picture of the girl, he opened the folder to reveal the details within.

_ Name: Hyuuga Hinata_

_ Age: 17_

_ Birthday: 12/27_

_This is…! _The boy looked up in shock, head buzzing. _Why is she here of all places? She's been missing for four years…_

"Hinata-sama…"

_She's back…_

OoOoOoOoO

The lunch bunch had gathered once again at their table, doing the usual talking and mingling. Hinata had totally become a part of the group at this point and even had stopped stuttering around them for the most part, something that rarely happened.

"So you know, I was pissed of course, but I just swallowed it and pretended not to care…"Tenten ranted as Hinata nodded in reply.

"It was good of you to do that Tenten-chan…I don't know if I could have had that kind of confidence…" Hinata answered in her timid voice.

"Aw, Hinata-chan you make me sound nice! As if!" Tenten giggled good-naturedly.

"Man can you believe the teachers are loading us up with homework already? I mean it's the first week of school and the weekend is coming up, isn't there a law that says you can't assign homework on at least the first eight months of school?" Kiba complained as he stuffed his face with food.

"How troublesome…I'm not going to even answer that."

"Kiba, if there was such a law, which there isn't, you would almost never get any homework, what would be the point of school then?" Shino asked wisely, applying a new wax covering on one of his beetle collections.

"Duh, there wouldn't be any school!" Chouji answered for Kiba as he munched on his chips.

"Without school I would be desolate!! I would not get to see the beautiful Sakura-chan's face!!!!!" Lee added, thrusting his fists into the air with emotion.

The group continued to talk like this but was rudely interrupted by the school's ruling court.

"Hey idiots, I need this table so move." Sakura sneered as she chewed her gum, her friends behind her. Ino and Karin were smirking, but the three boys were looking off in different directions, the expressions on their faces best described as bored. But looks were always deceiving.

Sasuke's eyes landed on the pale-eyed girl for the thousandth time that day. Very few words had past between the two of them since their run in at the office, and only because they were lab partners in Chemistry and had almost every class together. Sasuke had to be honest and say that having a girl not notice him was kind of annoying. Sure it was just as annoying, even more so when they did notice him, but it felt wrong being ignored. He wasn't used to it. He had done nothing to change his feelings about it though; he didn't want to aggravate them further.

The third boy had his eyes glued to Hinata. So devotedly so, that Hinata felt a shiver run down her spine and looked around to find the source, but did not achieve success. Tenten was the one to answer Sakura, pretty riled up already.

"What do you mean 'get up'?! We were here first so go somewhere else; you have your own table already." Tenten snorted in aggravation and the others at the table had various degrees of frustration on faces, except Hinata of course.

"I meant, _get up_. What do I have to speak Chinese for you to understand bun-bun girl?" Karin and Ino giggled at that and repeated it under their breaths as they laughed. Tenten blushed and looked down embarrassed.

"Hey don't talk to her that way!" Kiba yelled, frustrated. Hinata watched the confrontation with worried eyes. Sasuke and the other boy noticed this. Naruto on the other hand decided to interrupt.

"Hey man, I'd just do what she says, she can hit pretty hard you know…" He rubbed the back of his head, reminded of a previous injury probably caused by the resident pink haired girl.

"A-ano, guys…? M-Maybe we s-should do what they s-say…." Hinata mumbled under her breath, but it was caught by everyone.

"But then where do we go?! It's not fair." Chouji asked, mad that these popular people always got their way. Hinata struck an idea.

"It's okay…I-I know s-some place special w-we can go!" Hinata stated and gave her group a nervous smile.

"Fine let's just go, these people are making me sick…"Shikamaru murmured and got up to leave. The others did as well grudgingly. There was not much they could do about it, if they didn't move the whole school could be turned against them.

"Why don't you guys hurry the hell up, this is getting on my nerves…" Sasuke sighed in aggravation and took Chouji's spot as he got up. Chouji shot him a glare which he matched easily.

As the group made the transition and Hinata tried to placate her side, the boy with long hair transitioned seats with her, and she accidentally bumped into him. "Ano…I-I'm t-terribly s-sorry…" Hinata's words dropped off however as she stared into eyes very much like her own. The name was on her lips, unbidden but held back just in time. _Neji-nii-san…!_ She mouthed, shocked. The boy smirked in reply.

"Hey don't they look the same….? Wait they have the same last name too! Hyuuga! How come I've never noticed that?" Naruto yelled getting the attention of the conflicting groups as well. Sasuke was surprised as well, but for a different reason. "Hey Neji are you guys siblings or something? How come you never told me you had a sister!?" Naruto blabbered on. Neji replied to him but his eyes never left Hinata's,

"We're not siblings…" Hinata pleaded with her eyes not to say anything. The message was received. "She's a distant cousin, barely know her…what was your name again?" The answer message was 'you will answer to me later'.

"Hyuuga Hinata. I-I-I've heard a lot a-about you Neji-san." Hinata blushed and looked to the ground between them.

"Likewise Hinata-san." Then Neji was stoic again and said, "Be sure to send my greetings to your _father_ and the rest of the _family_." Hinata looked up sharply and her eyes bore into Neji's. There was a challenge in his eyes.

"Hai. I will." She murmured and turned away sharply. _He was blatantly insulting me! _Neji and Sasuke for that matter were surprised about her sudden response. Her eyes had been like ice as she answered. "Come on guys, I know the perfect place to go." She called to her friends and started walking quickly towards the school. Her friends, confused and slightly dazed at her sudden authority followed after her, but not before they flicked off the group that had taken over their table.

Sakura, Ino and Karin smirked. Plan to ruin Hyuuga Hinata's life was a go.

"Uhm, I'm sorry for asking, but….where are we going to go now?" Kiba asked apprehensively as he glanced at Hinata out of the corner of his eye. She could be kinda scary when she was mad.

"We're, uhm, going to go to the roof. I used to go there at my old school to eat lunch sometimes." Hinata replied, nervous once again after her adrenaline rush left. "Where are the stairs to get there?"

"Over here!!! The stair of youth!" Lee cried out and gave a good guy pose before running in the general direction of the stairs, everyone else ran to catch up.

_Neji-nii-san is here…I should have figured…Okay hopefully he won't say anything to his friends….What happened for him to hang out with them? And he was mocking me, he knows very well that I don't live with father….because he does! Oh well I can't worry about it for now. Just get information on him._

Everyone had made it to the roof and had been surprised to see how amazing the view was and how nice it seemed. "Wow we can scope out all the happenings of the school grounds at lunch time from here!" Kiba said excitedly and agreements came from the rest of the group.

Shikamaru promptly lay down and crossed his hands behind his head. "Hmmm, cloud watching wouldn't be that bad here…"Chouji nodded in agreement beside him.

Tenten on the other hand sat glumly against the railing, her head in her hand. Hinata, worried, went over to her and sat down. "What's wrong Tenten-chan?"

Tenten sighed and looked up at Hinata, trying to give her a confident smile, but it lacked the usual flare. "Eh? Just frustrated about them taking over our spot…and Neji…" She smiled sadly at her hands. "Well what did I expect, he'd never notice me, let alone protect me from his friends…"

_Unrequited love…?_ Hinata realized and rubbed Tenten's back soothingly. "It's okay; you're really pretty, I'm sure he'd notice you! You're prettier than me…" Hinata blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear awkwardly. Tenten gave her a 'what the hell' look.

"Hinata-chan, you can't even use that as an excuse. You have a body to kill, are the perfect height, not to mention you have long silky hair…" Tenten gave Hinata a pointed look as she stared at the ground, blushing from the compliments. "You can't compare us. At least you're different, like exotic," Hinata gave her a speculative look. "I'm average, and normal…that's all I will be." Hinata didn't know what to say to that. "But anyways, I feel kinda stupid for not thinking to put two and two together and realize you were related to Neji. Why didn't you say anything? Of course, maybe it was because he was out of town for so long…" Tenten changed the subject.

"Uh, well…I didn't know he went here and…I don't really want people to know about it…" Tenten looked at Hinata in confusion and was going to ask her to elaborate but they were interrupted.

"Hey guys! Something's going on at our table! Come look, hurry!" Kiba yelled and pointed down towards the school grounds. Even Shikamaru got up to see the commotion.

Sakura was standing on their table, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face as the whole school gathered around her. _So that's why they wanted our table…_ Hinata thought. Shino voiced the same thought aloud.

"That would make sense seeing as their normal table is covered with trees and they couldn't get everyone's attention…" Chouji replied as they watched Sakura clap her hands to get the students' attention.

"Hey everyone! You might be wondering why we're calling you together," Sakura made eye contact with everyone confidently, her hair whipping around her face in a way that reminded Hinata of sakura petals. "Well that answer is simple. There's gonna be a party hosted by me at my house! Tomorrow my place, be there or be square!" At that point Sakura looked up and smirked directly at Hinata. "Or be lame." Hinata stared in shock and moved away from the railing in surprise. Her friends turned to look at her with similar expressions.

"It seemed like she was…" Shikamaru started.

"Challenging you Hinata." Shino finished, his eyebrows scrunched in worry.

Hinata was at a loss for words. _What did I do to her? Why'd she stare at me? She knew we were watching…_

"So please come and enjoy my party! We can all hang out and have fun!" Sakura smiled sweetly but inside she was wincing. _I'd do anything for Sasuke, even this…and hey I can ruin Hinata's life while I'm at it._

_It's a good thing Sakura does everything I say…who knew the dobe could give me such a brilliant idea? _At work the previous day, Naruto had rambled on about how long it had been since he'd had some fun and gone to a party, and Sasuke could only think of the white-eyed girl who refused to look at him. And he was struck with the wonderful idea to get to Hinata without the confines of school. Throw a party and talk to her there. But it would be a detriment to him if his fangirls knew where he lived, so when Sakura made her nightly visit to his house, he had finished up business and promptly told her these 'friends with benefits' nights would end unless she threw the party for him. Of course she said yes.

Sasuke found Sakura looking to him for approval as she stepped off the table and the crowd dispersed talking cheerfully of their plans for the next night. He gave her a nod and she instantly brightened. _Pathetic how easy it is to drag these girls around…_ Sasuke found himself glancing up at the roof of the building. He was hoping that Hinata would get the hint and go to the party, hell the whole school had watched Sakura state that anyone who didn't go would be shunned. _She will go…no one can resist a party, not even a girl like Hinata._

"Well are we gonna go?" Shikamaru asked in a bored tone and was answered quickly.

"As much as I'd rather not, it seems to be that there is no option." Shino acquiesced.

"I'm all for it, who knows, there might be hot girls!" Kiba smirked and shrugged at the dirty looks he got.

"And food! Knowing how rich Sakura's family is, it'll be gourmet!" Chouji cheered.

"Well…It would be a chance to look pretty…and Neji might be there…" Tenten blushed and smiled gently.

"And the beautiful Sakura-chan will be there!!!!! I must go!!!!" Lee shouted exuberantly. The group then looked to Hinata expecting an answer.

It took Hinata a bit to form her answer, and that old stutter came back as she responded, "I-I c-can't g-go…" _There's no way I can leave him to go to a party…and Sakura seems to hate me for some reason…not to mention everyone I'm avoiding will be there. I should stay away from everyone as much as possible; school's the only time I should associate with them._ "I-I'm sorry but I…"

"It's fine Hinata. I wouldn't want to go after Sakura glared at you like that either…" Kiba murmured and stared at the ground pensively. "Why did she do that anyways?" He looked up at the others expecting an answer to appear from nowhere.

"Don't know, but she threatened anyone who didn't show would be ridiculed…how troublesome…." Shikamaru muttered angrily, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Hinata nodded sadly but put on a brave smile.

"It's okay though, I think I can h-handle i-it…"

"Well even if you couldn't, which I'm not saying you can't," Kiba smirked and put his arm around Hinata who was blushing like crazy and tried to get away from him. "Well we would protect you no worries!" This was voiced by the rest of the group as well.

"Thank you g-guys…it means a lot to me…" Hinata clasped her hands sweetly in front of her.

"Hey I think it's time to get back to class now, we should hurry, Anko-sensei can be mean!" Chouji shuddered and they all rushed to get to their respective classes.

OoOoOoOoO

It was the last class of the day and Hinata could help but be grateful it was almost over. _Then I get to relax at home for two days…It'll be fun._ Just another hour or so and she'd be free to go.

Hinata pulled at her shirt apprehensively, not liking the revealing gym outfits the girls had to wear. _It's like wearing underwear to school…!_ The boys however were lucky with basketball shorts.

"Okay!!!! Everyone, get ready because today is the wonderful, amazing, youthful fitness training run!!!!!" Gai-sensei, who surprisingly acted a lot like Lee screamed just as exuberantly as his younger counterpart. "You will run a glorious mile and I will time you! As you finish the mile I will tell you your time and you must remember it and write it down on your score sheet!" Hinata nodded in determination. _Okay running a mile isn't too bad…I can do that easily. Living in a dangerous neighborhood has its perks….who knew…? _ "Fastest boy and girl will get the next week off from doing any gym activities! So work hard children!!!" The students' chattered excitedly at that as they made their way to the beginning point.

"Can you believe Teme, no gym class for a week?! But I kinda like gym…it's the only class I don't fail…" Sasuke sighed as Naruto chattered beside him.

"Then lose Dobe. It's simple."

"But you know I hate losing! Especially to you!" Naruto glared halfheartedly at Sasuke. He just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm going to win because frankly, I hate gym, and because I would never lose to anyone." Sasuke threw a disgusted look at Gai-sensei, the reason for his hate of the class. He was just too exuberant for his tastes.

"Well it's a new year, who knows; maybe someone will beat you this year? I was pretty close last year…" Naruto grumbled as they toed the starting line. "Too bad I wasn't a girl then…"

"Dobe, you're still not a girl."

"I know that! Stupid Teme…" The whistle to start blew.

"Well then stay out of my way." And the mass of students were off.

After twenty seconds the mass of students spread out into the usual running formation; the select few who could actually run the mile easily far ahead of the others, the mass of kids in the middle who were average enough to keep up with the others, and the stragglers in the back who were either too lazy to try or huffing and puffing out of breath.

"Ugh I hate being in the back…why're we here anyways Sakura?" Ino asked as they lagged behind the rest of the groups.

"Duh because we have to look good for Sasuke-kun and running equals sweating! Do you want to be red faced and sweaty when you go congratulate Sasuke on finishing first?" Ino shook her head feverently. "Then go slow."

"Hai…"

Hinata was going at her own pace, simply running because it felt good and it had been a while since she had done it. She looked back and was surprised to see she was far from the others, and when she looked up ahead she saw Naruto and Sasuke running side-by-side. They seemed to be trying to beat each other, Naruto using dirty underhand tricks like trying to trip Sasuke or push him off the track. Hinata giggled as Sasuke yelled at Naruto and shoved him back. They weren't that far off from her and she was catching up easily without realizing it. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as they rounded the end of the first lap.

_I'm not going at my full speed and I'm catching up to them…I can beat them!_ Hinata blushed at the thought of Naruto congratulating her on being first. _I can get Naruto to notice me if I do! They're fighting so much I might actually have a chance…but can I do it…?_ Hinata felt the self doubt and ridicule raise its ugly head. She shook her head, angry at herself._ For Naruto I can do anything. Naruto this if for you! Please notice me…_

Hinata increased her speed and pumped her legs faster as she strived to pass the two heartthrobs of the school. _Come on, Come on!_ She thought as her body started to tire. _Only three more laps, this is for Naruto! Come on don't stop now!_ Hinata's resolve hardened. She watched in awe as she started to gain distance between her and her crush, and was even more shocked when she was at their side.

The two boys had stopped their bickering as Hinata came into their view. They glanced at each other; similar looks of shock pinned on their faces and looked back to the short, meek girl easily keeping pace with them. No one in all their years at this school had been able to keep pace with the two speed demons. Hinata glanced at them and gave a small, barely noticeable smile at her achievement and pulled ahead. The two boys were losing ground and with one quick glance at each other and then at the back of the girl who so easily passed them, the two pumped their legs faster and went to catch up with Hinata.

_I did it! Naruto looked at me!_ This thought was the only thing that kept her body moving and her lungs pumping as she sped through the second lap and started her third. The students she passed stared at her in awe. How could such a short girl beat the Uzumaki Naruto _and _former track star Uchiha Sasuke?!

"Go Hinata-san!!! Show these students the power of Youth!!!" Gai-sensei yelled to her in encouragement as she passed him for the third time, Sasuke and Naruto at her heels.

_Last lap! They're gaining on me I have to go faster! Come on, just a little more…!_ The exhilaration was amazing for Hinata, she'd never felt so accomplished in her life. _All because of you Naruto-kun…_ Hinata smiled as she sped past Sakura and Ino who looked at her in shock and then anger as Sasuke and Naruto rushed past and Sasuke yelled to Naruto,

"We can't let her beat us! Hurry up Dobe!"

"I know, I know Teme…jeez…"

"What the hell?! How is she beating Naruto and Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura screamed in outrage and Ino growled in frustration.

"She's getting their attention again…" Ino huffed and picked up her pace. Sakura rushed to keep up with her.

"Ino!! Why're we going faster! What happened to looking good for Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura complained.

"Sakura, if you haven't noticed, Hinata is getting all the attention and looking good just by _running._ Screw looking good, I want Sasuke-kun to _notice_ me!" And with that Ino cried out after Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun! Wait up for me!!!!"

"Argh stupid Ino! Stupid Hinata!" She rushed to catch up once again, knowing full well it was too late.

_It's the home stretch!_ Hinata thought as she rounded the last bend and the finish line was in sight. She could hear Sasuke and Naruto behind her, less than ten feet from her. Somehow she was able to stay ahead this long, but as she tired they gained more ground. _Keep the distance for a little longer! Only fifty feet to go! Forty…Thirty…Twenty…Ten…!_

And for the first time since Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto came onto the scene at Konoha High School…a girl had beaten them.

"Five minutes and seventeen seconds! Five minutes and nineteen seconds! Five minutes and twenty seconds! Amazing!!!!" Gai cried out as he ran to give bottles of water to the exhausted children. The other kids were way behind he wouldn't have to worry for a bit. "That was amazing!!!! I've never seen such competition before!!! Such youth, it's overflowing!!!!" Gai was crying tears of joy as he handed the water bottles to Sasuke and Naruto who were breathing hard. Gai then made his way to Hinata and clapped her on the shoulder as she bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard. "Good job." He whispered to her and gave her a thumbs up and a water bottle. She tried to smile but her mouth kept twitching. She chugged the water.

Naruto and Sasuke, after catching their breaths realized that they had lost to a girl. They stared at each other in shock, the event finally settling in.

"We…" Sasuke started.

"…Were beaten by a _girl…."_ Naruto stared at the said girl in surprise. _Wow…You kinda have to admit that's amazing…._ "We should go congratulate her, come on Teme!" Naruto dragged a protesting Sasuke to Hinata's side.

She had just caught her breath and cheered to herself in her head when Naruto and Sasuke walked up to her. "Congrats….what was your name again?" Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. It seemed to be a habit.

Hinata stared in shock as the two boys waited for her reaction. When it seemed she wouldn't give one from being petrified, Sasuke answered for her. "Dobe her name's Hinata." Hearing her name shook her out of her reverie and she looked at Sasuke sharply before blushing and looking away. Sasuke grimaced at the reaction.

"Well then Hinata-chan, congrats on a job well done! Who knew such a small person could be so fast?!" Naruto laughed happily and Hinata stared at Naruto lovingly.

"T-thank y-you Naruto-kun…." Hinata wrung her hands around the water bottle and it made annoying crunching noises. Sasuke grabbed her hand and stilled the motion.

"Stop it's annoying." Hinata, shocked, pulled her hands away from him roughly and stared at him accusingly and in fear. Naruto seemed to catch this. Sasuke gritted his teeth in aggravation. _Why does she hate me….?!_

"Aww, don't worry about him, he's just a spoil-sport. He's still in shock that he got beat by a girl…wait! That means….I was the second guy…I don't get no gym!" It amazed Hinata how Naruto could go from one thought process to the next in one breath. _He's gorgeous…_

_"_Ano…I-I'm s-sorry you don't g-g-get the n-next w-week off… I c-could g-give you mine….I-if you'd like of c-c-course…." She blushed heavily and glanced up at Naruto through her eyelashes. Both boys blushed. _So cute…_ One thought in surprise and the other grudgingly.

"I-It's okay Hinata-chan! You earned it, you should have fun with it. Maybe you and Teme can hang out!" Naruto laughed again and wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke tried to shove Naruto off him.

"Don't touch me Dobe, you're stupidness will rub off on me!" Naruto gritted his teeth in mock anger and tried to give Sasuke a noogie.

"Get. Over. It. Teme!" Naruto yelled as he tried to keep Sasuke in his grip.

"Dobe I'm warning you…If you don't let go I'll-"

"You'll what?! Denying me my ramen rights will only work for so long, I have my ways you know!"

Hinata watched in amazement as the two bickered like long lost brothers. It was amazing. She expected this out of Naruto, but she saw Sasuke's smirk held more of a smile than sarcasm. Hinata couldn't help but giggle, trying to hide it behind her hand. The two boys stopped and stared as they heard her laugh. Again the thought ran through their heads…_Cute…._

Hinata blushed and stopped as she found them staring at her. "Ano…I-Is there s-something w-wrong with m-my face…?" She tried rubbing it to get rid of the non-existent particles.

"No…"Sasuke murmured and shoved Naruto off of him, straightening to his full height and dusting off his clothes of imaginary dirt. Naruto laughed nervously as Sasuke gave him a death glare and then turned to Hinata.

"You're laugh….it was really cute. Did you know that?" Naruto smiled his million watt smile and Hinata felt faint.

"M-my Laugh…? Y-you t-think i-it's cute…?" Hinata's knees threatened to give way as she squealed of happiness on the inside.

"Well who wouldn't? It was wasn't it Teme?" Sasuke stared between the two of them, his face growing more and more expressionless as his emotions grew more and more out of hand. _What the hell…?_ Hinata's eyes caught his in shock, afraid to hear the answer.

"Whatever Dobe, you're weird." And he did the one thing he did best, he ran away from his emotions.

As Sasuke walked off without another word, Hinata stared at the ground sadly. _He thinks I'm a freak as usual. But even if it's Sasuke, it still hurts when someone does that…_ Naruto laughed awkwardly again and wrapped his arm around Hinata's shoulder and led her in the direction of the locker rooms, where Sasuke was presently headed. Hinata thought she would die right there. _N-N-Naruto-kun…!_

"Hey Hinata-chan, don't feel bad, that's Sasuke's way of agreeing with me, believe it!" He grinned down at Hinata and she blushed as Naruto continued to blabber on as the walked into the gym. _He's so much taller than me…and his hands are so big…it fits around my shoulder easily…_Hinata didn't know when she'd get another chance to be so close to Naruto and so she was committing everything to memory.

And too soon her dream was over. _Why can't the locker room be across the whole school…?_

"Well, I'm gonna go change, good job out there today!" Naruto waved as he walked into the boys' locker room.

Hinata trudged into the girls' locker room and couldn't help but run to her locker to get her clothes. She stood in front of the mirror blushing like mad for ten minutes, hands on her cheeks. "Naruto-kun talked to me!!" She slapped herself and whispered to herself. "Don't get carried away Hinata…get a hold of yourself!" She turned on the tap and washed her face. Looking up, her face soaking wet, she couldn't help but squeal once again. "Naruto-kun wrapped his arm around me!!"

After Hinata got a hold of herself and changed, she walked out into the gym to wait for the other students. The last stragglers were just making their way in and Hinata sat down against wall and waited for Gai-sensei to conclude the class. "Well my youthful children, good job I saw some amazingly hard work out there! But now it's time to announce who get the winning prize of no gym for a whole week!" Gai-sensei looked at Sasuke and Hinata and beckoned them to his side. Hinata blushed but did as she was told.

"And the winner for the boys' side is Uchiha Sasuke!" All the girls squealed and clapped and the boys grudgingly did the same. "And, with a new record of Five minutes and seventeen seconds, and the first one in the whole class…Hyuuga Hinata!" The clapping was more on the boy side this time, most of them clapping because there was someone who could beat the Uchiha and a girl at that. The girls didn't clap at all, only grumbled. They weren't as good in sportsmanship as the boys were. Hinata blushed and quickly moved back to her seat. "So that's it class, go get changed and the winners can leave early!!!! Everyone else wait for the wondrous bell before you leave!"

Hinata blushed and walked towards the door to leave and was surprised to find so many of the guys congratulating her and giving her high fives. Being the nervous girl she was, she ignored them and just rushed out of there without looking up.

"Do you see that?! She's a freaking siren!" Ino grumbled as her and Sakura walked behind the timid dark haired girl.

"I know, if we're not careful, all the guys will be under her trap…this isn't fair!" Sakura growled and threw her hands in the air in frustration. "I'm supposed to have all the guys' attention…" Ino gave her a glare. "Okay..._both_ of us…but mostly me." Sakura relented. Ino rolled her eyes.

"She uses that goody-goody ploy and the guys fall easy for that, trust me, I know. I've used it before." Ino smirked in achievement. Sakura sighed.

"We have to get her. Soon she'll be in control of the whole school."

"Yeah…at the party…"

"We'll crush her." The two giggled. They passed the girl of their conversation and Sakura smirked and looked at Hinata. _Watch._ She mouthed before sticking her foot out and tripping Hinata. Said girl landed on the ground, her stuff scattering around her.

"Ano…I'm sorry, I m-m-must not have b-been l-looking where I w-was going…" Hinata murmured, not looking up from her spot, just trying to pick everything up and get out of the way.

"Yeah you weren't." Sakura smirked and tossed her hair playfully. Ino giggled behind her hand as she kicked away the book Hinata was reaching for. Still Hinata didn't look up, trying to keep tears from falling now.

"Hey!" A voice yelled and Hinata blushed even more so and finally looked up to see her savior. _Naruto-kun…_"Stop doing that, you're being really mean!" Naruto moved forward to help Hinata pick up her stuff. Sakura and Ino glared, sputtering.

"What the hell Naruto?! Why're you helping her?" Naruto helped Hinata up and handed her her stuff.

"Because you were purposefully doing those mean things! It's not nice to trip someone, let alone kick their things away when their down…" Naruto murmured sullenly.

"What?! Why're you defending her? Do you like her or something? Huh? Tell me!" Sakura spat angrily. Naruto was instantly contrite.

"Sakura-chan you know I only love you…! It's just…" He looked down, not sure of his words. "If you could not do rude things like that…"

Sakura rolled her eyes and walked away. "Shut up Naruto! I don't need you telling me what to do!" And then she turned and threw over her shoulder. "Habana-whatever, you better watch it. Don't get any closer to Sasuke or you might _hurt_ him again." She smirked and left, Ino following closely.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto asked gently, reaching a hand out to Hinata. She turned away right before his hand touched her face.

"I-I'm f-f-fine…" The tears would come at any moment now. "I have t-to go…" She ran away, but not fast enough to not hear,

"Well it was nice meeting you Hinata-chan! Hope you feel better!"

OoOoOoOoO

The tears came then, unbidden but uncontrollable. So bad that it took Hinata ten minutes before she finally stopped as she ran to her everyday pit stop after school. _What was I thinking? Naruto doesn't love me! He just met me again! Why was I expecting so much from him…he acts like that to everyone, why did I think I was any different? He only has eyes for Sakura…like always._

_It's as if all of today was for nothing…I worked so hard for nothing…_Hinata was shaken out of reverie as she neared her destination. Wiping her tears away with her sleeve and taking deep breaths to calm herself, Hinata stopped the tears and put on a brave face. _I can't be like this when I pick him up, he'd be worried and I can't do that to him…_She turned the corner and stopped outside the gates to make sure her emotions were in check.

Konoha Primary.

Smiling more confidently now, Hinata run the last bit up to the school. As she opened the door one of the teachers greeted her.

"Hello Hinata-chan! He's playing inside today. He absolutely refused to go out with the other kids…" The teacher gave Hinata a knowing smile. "It's taking a bit of time for him to adjust to the new surroundings but I'm sure he'll open up in no time." Hinata smiled and bowed to the teacher.

"Thank you Konan-san, I w-will g-go to him n-now." Hinata hesitated for a moment, but the urge to go to the boy was too much to resist. She ended up running down the hall to the indoor playroom. Stopping and catching her breath, Hinata leaned against the doorway and watched the boy as he worked on a drawing alone.

_He's like his father in every way…_Hinata thought as she watched him set down a crayon and pick up another one to begin coloring. He did not go through a child's hesitance and decision making. _Always calculating everything, never hesitating. _Hinata smiled, unable to contain the happiness welling in her heart as she watched the sole reason for her life concentrate on his project.

The boy had his back to her so Hinata couldn't see his face, but Hinata knew exactly what he looked like. _He looks almost nothing like me. The only similarity people say we have is our pale skin color and the same eyebrows…which I don't understand how you can even compare that…Everything else is an exact replica of _him. _Hair color, eyes, mentality, hair _style._ He truly is his father's child, to be exactly like him when he's never even met him…_

"Okaa-san are you going to stare at me forever?" The boy didn't turn to look at her, still focused on his drawing. Hinata started and grinned for the first time that day.

"I don't know, you're so handsome how could I not?" She asked as she walked over to his side and peered over his shoulder. Without looking up he patted the kiddy-sized chair beside him. Hinata sat down, her knees practically pressing into her chest. "What are you drawing?"

"Okaa-san." He stated simply, and with a final flick of his crayon, he was done. He put away the extra materials and then held it up to Hinata to judge.

"Do you like it? I even signed it at the bottom." He smiled and pointed to the bottom right corner in achievement. And indeed it was signed. _Uchiha Ryouichi. _Hinata gasped and whispered.

"I don't like it…" The boy's face fell a little. "I _love _it!" Hinata grabbed and pulled him into a hug. He giggled and wrapped his arms around his mother, letting her place him on her lap. Hinata took the picture from his grasp and held it out for the two of them to see. "Ryou…you never cease to amaze me…"

The picture was amazingly artistic for the mind of a four year old. But then again, Ryouichi had always been smarter than the bear. He had spoken his first word at the tender age of six months, had accomplished walking by the age of eight months and was already able to do division and multiplication. Hinata had gone to the doctor in concern of her son's excessive growth and after a series of tests, had found that he had the mind of a thirteen year old, and most probably had photographic memory.

Of course the news had surprised Hinata immensely, but it seemed to make sense seeing as the amazing Uchiha Sasuke was his father. Once she thought of it that way, it was very easy to see what had happened. The boy had just gained another trait from his father. As if there weren't any others he had gotten…

And Hinata had of course, taught Ryouichi everything that he knew. She spent all of her time with him, and she wanted the best for her son, which meant studying hard and working hard on his part. She always tried to make it fun, and it wasn't too much of a hassle; Ryouichi was very mature and never gave her problems, he needed someone to keep his mind occupied at all times or he got bored easily.

The picture only seemed to enhance the belief that Uchiha Ryouichi was more than your average four year old. Even with the use of crayons, the picture was amazingly detailed, and seemed a snapshot of Hinata's face. Everything was positioned exactly, and even the shading was done perfectly. From far away it would easily look like an actual photograph.

"So you like it?" Ryouichi asked, putting his hand on Hinata's face gently to get her attention. She turned sharply towards him at the contact and smiled genuinely.

"What did I just say?" She asked playfully and pinched his nose as she got up and they packed his bag together.

Ryouichi rolled his eyes. "That you love it…" Hinata smiled.

"Yes I do. Why don't we stop by the arts and crafts store on the way home and get a picture frame for it?" The two of them were now walking hand in hand out of Konoha Primary.

"Sure! But Okaa-san…" Hinata looked down at Ryouichi and he looked up questioningly. "Can I put it on my side of the bed?" Hinata giggled and nodded.

"Why would you want to put it there? I was thinking of putting it up in the living room so everyone can see it!" Ryouichi scrunched his nose in distaste.

"Don't embarrass me Okaa-san…! I just…" Hinata watched as the boy scuffed his shoe against the concrete as they waited for the pedestrian crossing lights. "I want you to be close to me…" He blushed. Hinata blushed as well. She kneeled down to his height and straightened out his jacket.

"But I'm always near you, so you don't ever have to worry about that." He nodded and Hinata saw the crossing signal light up. Smiling mischievously, Hinata grabbed Ryouichi and made a mad dash for the other side, laughing at the gasp the little boy made as he was picked up.

"Okaa-san they always tell us not to run across the street…that wasn't very safe…" Hinata laughed at her son.

"Who's the parent here, huh?" She then gave him a serious look. "But don't you ever do that okay? I can do it because I knew what I was doing." Hinata had yet to put the boy down and he wasn't complaining about it much.

Ryouichi sighed and murmured, "I'm not dumb Okaa-san…"

They walked, mainly Hinata, for another five minutes silently, just enjoying each other's company. Ryouichi rested his head on his mother's shoulder and was just about to drift off when Hinata gently nudged him. "Ryouichi? We're at the arts and crafts store, come on, you can help me choose a nice frame." She set the boy down and held on to his hand as they entered the store. Ten minutes later they walked out of the store, Ryouichi clutching a plastic bag to his chest. As they came out they were still laughing about an inside joke between the two of them.

"Okaa-san can we get ice cream?" Ryouichi asked as they walked by an ice cream shop. _Twister's Ice Cream Shop…_Hinata shrugged and nodded.

"Sure, what flavor would you like?"

"Vanilla." He answered quickly. She smiled and nodded.

"Okay will you sit down inside and wait for me?" Ryouichi was slightly confused but nodded his consent. Hinata smiled. "Okay one vanilla ice cream coming up!" She poked his bellybutton and giggled as they entered the shop, a bell signaling their entrance.

Walking up to the front of the store to order, Hinata quickly glanced to make sure Ryouichi had listened to what she'd said. He had. He was sitting at a booth, facing the window, his head in his hand. Turning back to the register, Hinata thought she'd have a heart attack.

"Well, well if it isn't Miss Speed Demon herself." The cold voice sent chills down her spine and dread into her heart.

"W-what are y-you doing h-here U-Uchiha-san…?" Hinata couldn't help but stutter, stepping back unconsciously. The boy gave her a cold smirk.

"What do you think, I work here." He pointed to the apron he was wearing that had 'Twister's' embossed on the front. "Are you gonna order or not?"

"A-ano…"Hinata glanced back at Ryouichi and thought; _How do I get out of this mess?!_

_

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_

_Well I'm not usually a fan of Original Characters, I dunno, I think it's because when people generally try, the characters don't have the qualities of Naruto characters. To do justice the author we must try our best to keep our stories believable, and at the same time keep a level of Naruto prevalent in our writings, as respect for the author. At least that's what I believe…lol. I'm trying really hard to do so here. I don't think I did a good job with Ryouichi, but I will be fleshing out his character as the story progresses. You may think it's a little farfetched that he'd be so amazingly smart, but when you think about it, it kinda does make sense. Hinata, I believe, would definitely work hard to keep her children from becoming like her, or go through what she had to go through by making them work hard. And The Uchiha Clan was known for the geniuses it spewed out. I guess Ryouichi is just another one. The Photographic memory however was a theory by the doctors, it most probably isn't true. _

_Also something I would like to point out is when people write fanfictions; they say that Sasuke's and Hinata's children have grey eyes and a mix between the Byakugan and Sharingan. Though the Sharingan/Byakugan theory might be true, the grey eyes would not be possible, genetically speaking. And if one of the Kekkei Genkai was to come through in the child, (which would most probably happen) it would most probably be the Byakugan because it is, as said in the Manga, the more dominant of the two. However, there will always be the possibility that Sharingan might come through in a child. The reason I speak of this is, in genetics, it's generally (definitely not always) the darker pigment that is more dominant, so in theory, Ryouichi would probably get Sasuke's black eyes and hair. Of course, we cannot say for sure because nature always loves to mix it up once in a while:)__._

_**Ryouichi-**__ "Ryou" can mean 'good' or 'clear' and "ichi" means 'one'. (Since he is the first born)_

_Sorry for all that rambling. Next Chapter I will have a nice little character review so you all can understand Ryouichi some more. Please feel free to review and talk about any of the following if you'd like to tell me your theories or have a discussion about it. Until next time,_

_Trinity Effect_


	4. Chapter Four: Unknowingly Infamous

_Sorry about taking so long…classes suck. I was a lot later than planned and I had a little bit of a writer's block. (I know what you're thinking…already?!) Uhm I promised a Character Review of Ryouichi so here it is! Please read it if you'd like._

_**Uchiha Ryouichi**_

_Birthday: March 15_

_Age: 4 years old_

_Sign: Pisces_

_Favorite colors: Any cool color (i.e. - blue, green, black, etc.)_

_Hobbies: Drawing, reading, spending time with him mom_

_Pet Peeves: kids trying to play with him, adults acting almighty and anything that makes his mom sad_

_Favorite foods: Anything his mom makes_

_Hated Foods: carrots, Natto_

_Personality: sweet and good to his mother, hateful towards other kids his age, and generally disrespectful to other elders. His mother can easily fix that though. He has sort of a mother complex because his world s has been revolving around her his whole life. It takes a bit for him to warm up to people, but once he does, he is very protective and caring. Is always looking for a father figure in any man he meets. Tends to go overboard and overreact easily. Gets grumpy and jealous easily. Freakishly smart for his age. Can't get along with other kids at all. Hates his father but still wants one._

_If there's anything else you'd like to know about him, please feel free to ask me:)__. It's not as long as the last chapter, but please do enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

_

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**Chapter Four: Unknowingly Infamous **

_Oh no…This is the worst possible scenario! _Hinata seemed glued to the spot._ He can't meet him here! He would positively hate me…! Both of them would…_

Sasuke sighed in frustration. Gritting his teeth he bent over the counter, getting into Hinata's face. "Order? Or _not…?"_ Hinata blushed and moved away from the angry boy, mumbling under her breath quickly.

"One v-vanilla a-and one c-chocolate…" Sasuke rolled his eyes and moved to get it, taking his time. With his back towards her, Hinata had a chance to turn to look at Ryouichi once again. _Maybe I can get his attention and make him leave now! _She tried to make eye contact with the boy to no avail; something must have been really interesting outside.

Hinata thought she'd die right then and there.

Well, at least have fifty years knocked off her life…

Hinata could only watch her son helplessly as she waited for the ice cream to be given to her by the _father_ of said child, her foot tapping in nervousness and her thumbs twiddling in anticipation. It was a habit that rarely showed anymore.

Except when Hinata was seemingly going to die.

Hinata turned and looked at her son one more time, thinking, _I should see him one more time before he starts to hate me right? _She watched Ryouichi suddenly sit up stark straight for a second, before standing in his seat (something that she had told him never to do) and pressing his face to the window, hands bracing him there. _What is he…?_

"You're ice cream." The Uchiha called, and Hinata sharply turned her head to him and nodded nervously, staring at the ice cream for a second in hesitation. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You're supposed to take the ice cream _out _of my hands." Hinata looked up at his face, a blush running through to her neck, and he nodded his head in the direction of the ice cream being held between them, giving her a pointed look as he did so.

"R-right…" Hinata reached out to take the ice cream and Sasuke couldn't help but notice the slight shake in her hands as she reached for the sweet treats. Their hands accidentally brushed and both felt the tingle of electricity run through them.

Hinata started a little but forcefully took the ice cream out of the boy's hands so she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

Sasuke felt his hands grow warm and wondered if he was sick.

"Ano…h-how m-much?" Hinata murmured, trying to delay the inevitable as long as possible. The Ice cream shop wasn't so busy that Sasuke wouldn't be able to notice who entered and left the shop. And he would see Ryouichi and the similarities between them.

He might put two and two together.

Then again, there was always the other option of Ryouichi seeing his father. Hinata wanted very badly for that to not happen; it would destroy the poor boy's dreams and she didn't have the heart to willingly lead him to that. She may have agreed to move back here to find him, but that didn't mean she would make an effort.

Too bad she didn't have to look far.

"600 yen." Sasuke held his hand out for the money which Hinata handed over, careful not to touch him. He didn't know if he liked that all too much. "Thank you and have a nice day." He said gruffly. Hinata was sure it was a requirement of his job to say so, but of course he would not do it joyfully.

Hinata couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, glancing fearfully back at Ryouichi. This was it, all hell would break loose…Hinata couldn't help but gasp at what she saw outside the window her son was presently glued to.

A group of at least fifteen girls were huddling near the store, screaming and giggling as they saw who the cashier was…the resident Uchiha. They simply seemed to materialize out of no where and instantly made their way into the quaint shop; it was a full blown fan girl rampage and a flash of pink at the helm proved that Sakura was the leader.

"Sasuke-kun! Imagine meeting you here!" Sakura giggled and without a second thought shoved Hinata rudely out of the way. Hinata barely managed to keep the ice cream intact.

This was her chance.

A quick glance at Ryouichi showed him staring in awe at the sheer amount of girls, all huddled around the cash register and covering the boy behind it. Hinata rushed to his side and whispered quickly,

"Come, we're getting out of here!" Hinata grabbed the plastic bag with the picture frame in it and made a mad dash for the door, her son at her heels.

"Sasuke-kun! We're right here! Why're you trying to look over there?!" The girls pouted as they continued to pester him. This is why the manager put him in charge of the front; Uchiha Sasuke was a girl magnet, young or old. This meant customers.

_Where did that girl go now? She's like a freaking mouse, always sneaking away! _Sasuke gritted his teeth angrily as the girls blocked his view.

Ah, there she was.

Walking briskly out the door, a bag clutched to her chest tightly and a nervous look in her eyes, Hyuuga Hinata was literally running away. He couldn't help but wonder from what. _Did she steal that bag or something? Or is she nervous…because of me? _He inwardly smirked. The answer was obvious in his eyes.

Little did he know his smirk was not just in his head.

"Kyaaah! Sasuke-kun you're so amazing!"

"Marry me!"

"Screw marrying, just make me yours!"

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. This would never end would it…and it always happened at the wrong moments. Sakura was literally on top of the counter at this point, her hand playing on his chest as the other girls screamed at him.

But something was gnawing in his guts.

_What was that feeling that ran through me when Hinata's fingers touched mine…?_

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata only relaxed after the two of them were three blocks away from that retched ice cream shop.

Little Ryouichi was having a hard time keeping up with his mother, calling her to wait for him but she seemed not able to hear him. "Okaa-san!" Finally Ryouichi managed to reach her and grabbed at her skirt, getting her attention.

"What is it Ryouichi?" She asked gently, but the boy was too out of breath to answer. He could only plop himself down on the sidewalk and give his mother a half-hearted glare.

"Okaa-san…you were….going to fast…for me!" And Hinata couldn't help but blush at that. Leaning down she pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead and apologized a million times. "Fine, fine, can I just have my ice cream?" Ryouichi pointed to the slightly melted treat.

Hinata giggled and handed him the chocolate ice cream playfully. "Okaa-san! I asked for vanilla!" The boy cried out angrily.

"Well I decided I want vanilla now. Oldest goes first!" Ryouichi pouted, his arms crossed in a huff.

"That's not fair!" He cried out indignantly once again.

"Hai, hai…"Hinata muttered, rolling her eyes as she switched the ice cream, but not before she snuck a quick lick. She ruffled Ryouichi's hair playfully and sat beside him as they finished off their ice cream.

"Okaa-san…"

"Yes Ryouichi?"

"Wanna know something interesting I saw outside the ice cream shop?" He turned to look at her, a peculiar look on his face. Hinata had to laugh at that.

"Sure."

"Well, I was waiting for you to get my ice cream…and this _pink haired girl_ looked into the shop and started screaming and stomping around…" Ryouichi turned his body towards his mom some more and asked seriously, "You told me that kids my age shouldn't do that kind of thing…so why did she do it?" He then had a smirk on his face before saying proudly, "I know better than that."

Hinata laughed so hard she almost dropped her ice cream.

"That's good you know better than that. That girl is just not as mature as you; don't learn from her actions though okay?" Hinata smiled at Ryouichi, knowing full well he wouldn't.

"Yeah! And then, she started screaming into her phone, and all these girls just came out of nowhere!" Ryouichi was getting into his story now, using big hand gestures cutely to describe the event, hands sticky from the ice cream. "I couldn't believe that many girls wanted ice cream that bad!" Hinata laughed and got up as she finished her ice cream.

"Yup, but ice cream is yummy enough for that right?" Ryoichi nodded in agreement. "Come on, we got to get home Ryouichi." She picked him up off the sidewalk ledge and started walking a little slower than before, just wanting to get home as quickly as possible.

"Okaa-san, can we eat chicken tonight? I want it really bad…" Ryouichi asked as he finished off his ice cream and laid his head on his mother's shoulder again.

"If we have any left, sure. I'll make it just for you." She smiled down at him and he smiled back.

After that, the boy in her arms was quiet, giving Hinata an opportunity to think. _So Sakura saw me at the cash register and threw a tantrum…_Hinata winced when she realized that Sakura was the one who saved her. _If she hadn't gotten jealous and come in with her friends…Ryouichi and I couldn't have gotten away…I guess I'm indebted to her._ That was not a good thought. Not at all.

_So that's what she meant by 'if you know what's good for you, stay away from Sasuke-kun'…She wants him for herself._ Hinata grimaced at that thought. _Well by all means she can have him! I never said I wanted him…Though that feeling that went through my hand…what was that? He must have just shocked me; he does have a shocking personality. _Hinata was the only one to laugh at her lame joke as she walked up the stairs to their apartment.

Setting Ryouichi down, she fished her keys out of her bag and unlocked the door, holding it open for the little boy before entering herself.

The apartment was not the best of conditions.

With a small entry way that extended to a ten foot-by-ten foot living room area that served as their dining room as well, the room was not exactly what you'd call nice. There were sliding doors on the right that lead to the kitchen, though calling it a kitchen would not do any justice. It was the size of an average bathroom, with just enough room for a sink, stove, refrigerator and one person. Their bedroom, which was towards the back of the apartment, was just big enough for a bed (which came standard, no way they could get anything to fit in there without breaking down the walls) and two side tables.

Everything was run down, broken, deteriorating, but at the price Hinata was paying for the rent, it was no wonder. Hinata sighed as she placed her stuff on the sitting table in the living room and went to getting things done around the meager house. There was homework to be started on, dinner to be cooked, cleaning to do, laundry and baths to be taken at the public bath house next door.

While Ryouichi turned on the TV and got to work on fixing the picture and putting it in the picture frame, Hinata started dinner on the stove, checking in on Ryouichi every once in a while as she worked around the house.

As she waited for dinner to finish, Hinata sat at the table next to Ryouichi as she started on homework. Luckily she didn't have that much today, the teachers at Konoha were generally nice and accommodating to teenager lives, not that her life was what anyone would call 'normal teenage life'.

She finished up her work as they wrapped up dinner, a bowl of rice and some pickled radishes for her, and chicken and vegetables for her son. It was the way she always did it; she didn't want him to miss out on life just because of her mistakes. It didn't matter anyways; she had had gourmet food for the first thirteen years of her life, which was more than enough for her. She would sacrifice anything for Ryouichi.

It was getting late so the two of them dashed to the bathhouse laughing and having fun. Hinata washed up Ryouichi before getting clean herself and they made it back in record time. It seemed that today was a good day, with both of them in bed by eleven; a miracle in terms of Hinata's usual days.

The mother and son lay under the covers, cuddling to keep the warmth because they couldn't afford to turn on the Heater. Neither minded much, they were very close and this was just another chance to be with one another.

"Ah, Ryouichi, do you want to go to the park tomorrow?" The sleepy boy nodded and snuggled closer to his mother's warmth. "I have the day off tomorrow also, so we can spend the whole day together, but I have to work on Sunday okay?" He nodded again and sat up a little to look down at his mother with eyes thick with sleep.

"Do I come with you again?" Hinata smiled sadly.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I know how boring it is for you to stay there. I got a job at Ichiraku's Ramen place though; it's temporary, only until his daughter gets back from a sprained ankle…" Ryouichi nodded and moved back into his mother's arms, his head pillowed on her arm.

"I can deal with it Okaa-san." He patted his mother's neck gently. "You work and I'll draw or color. I got some puzzles to do too." Hinata giggled at her son. Sometimes he seemed like such an adult.

"Thank you Ryouichi, goodnight and sweet dreams, I love you."

"I love you too Okaa-san…"

OoOoOoOoO

The party was just picking up, music blaring through multiple subwoofers and flashing lights moving in time with the music.

Leave to Haruno Sakura to _really_ throw a party.

Her house was enormous, easily fitting the whole school in one of the ballrooms and many of the kids were green with envy as they loitered around or danced. The Haruno family owned most of the only oil businesses in Japan and the terms 'filthy rich' truly applied here. Sakura could get anything she pretty much wanted without even lifting a finger, she only chose to because it got to be tiresome not doing anything.

The hostess of the party was sitting on a raised dais surrounded by her close group of friends as she watched the events unfold and, unknown to the others, for a dark haired girl. Naruto was down on the dance floor as he had been since the party started, Karin and Ino were finishing up eating, and Neji and Sasuke were sitting in their chairs with bored expressions on their faces.

"So has the girl come yet?" Karin asked around her food.

"Ugh, Karin, don't talk with your mouth full please? I'm eating right next to you and it's _not _'see food' so don't try that crap on me…again." Ino groaned and shoved Karin slightly.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the two bickering girls. She took another glance around and sighed, bored. "She's not here yet…we have the best view of all the happenings here." She started messing with the hem of her thousands of US dollars dress, imported just for the occasion. Aquamarine silk and chiffon that accentuated her eyes and made her hair pop. She looked gorgeous and knew it from the looks all the guys were giving her.

That's what she paid for.

"Sakura-chan! Do you want to dance with me?" Naruto asked as he ran up to the dais and held a hand out for her, bowing playfully. He looked up and smiled his brilliant smile, "You look beautiful lik-"

"Like always, yeah, that's a given Naruto no Baka!" Sakura rolled her eyes at him. He smile dropped a little but persisted.

"So will you dance with me? Everyone else has already, even the guys!" He stepped up on the dais and tugged on her arm. She struggled against his stronger hold.

"Naruto let go of me! I don't dance!" Sakura shrieked angrily and Naruto instantly let go after she hit him upside the head.

"Ow! Sakura-chan….! How mean!" Naruto pouted and Ino and Karin giggled at him.

"Naruto-kun you're such a Baka." Ino teased and Naruto laughed good-naturedly.

"Yeah I guess."

"Baka, shut up you're all too loud it's pissing me off." Sasuke all but growled at the group.

"Well Teme, stop being a Popsicle and come dance!"

"No. Leave me alone." Naruto backed off and grumbled under his breath as he left the group, Ino and Karin following to dance with him.

Sakura turned to the boy on her left.

"It's going good, ne Sasuke-kun?" Sakura smirked proudly at her display of female dominance.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, not deeming the question important enough to reply properly.

"Come dance with me then?" Sakura got up and tugged on Sasuke's arm, trying to lead him towards the dance floor. He didn't budge. "Sasuke-kun…!" She whined.

Sasuke startled Sakura as he suddenly got up on his own accord, unsteadying her on her feet for a moment and making her release her hold on him. "I'm getting something to eat." He said monotonously and moved in the direction of the buffet table at the back of the room. He heard Sakura huff behind him.

_Why isn't she here yet?! The party started three hours ago! _Sasuke unconsciously fisted his hands in frustration as he shoved his way through the crowd to reach the table. He had used food as a way to look for her without seeming obvious. Even though he seemed bored on the dais, he had been anything but; he had been searching for the white-eyed girl and slowly simmering in his anger towards her.

"Hey look, it's the Uchiha who got beat by a girl!" A nameless boy smirked as Sasuke tried to move past him. Hate was clearly shown in the boy's eyes. Jealousy. He was definitely ticking Sasuke off at the wrong moment.

Trying to reign in his anger (getting into a fight would not be good at this moment) Sasuke just glared at the boy and replied coolly, the eyes of the few people around them glued on the two students. "And I beat you so what does that say about you?" With that he shoved past the boy and continued the search, glaring at anyone who dared to continue staring at him. No one did.

Someone shoved him from behind.

"Stop getting in my flipping way!" Sasuke growled and threw a punch at the boy behind him, easily connecting with a cheek. The boy fell to the ground and spit out blood. The people around the two shied away and Sasuke stalked away, angry beyond words.

Sasuke got to the table and poured himself some punch. He leaned against the table as he drank, mulling over him frustrations. _Ah…It's spiked…_Sasuke looked down at his drink, swishing it around and around. _That stupid girl, doesn't she know if Sakura finds out she's not here, she'll be royally screwed? God damnit, I'm gonna have to cover for her again, huh? Why am I always covering for her? I hate her. She's annoying, and stutters, and she beats me easily, which is flipping annoying as hell…_

The drink swirled faster and faster.

_I thought my plan would work! What kind of girl doesn't go to a party?! I want to hit something so bad…why am I so worked up? _He thought to the previous day's events and growled subconsciously. _Oh yeah, that's why…'cause she's freaking annoying as hell._

Sasuke noticed two girls giggling and sending him suggestive looks. He glared at them and took another swig of his drink, refilling his cup afterwards.

_God I think I'm getting drunk…_it had been his twelfth cup he thought; he couldn't remember which after his sixth one. It wasn't just spiked with anything. _Must be some potent stuff…_ He smirked to himself and filled his cup again. _Stupid girls who piss me off…I want to get back at her for making me wait…I don't even remember why I was mad… _

It never occurred to him that she hadn't exactly stood him up; she never specifically said she would be going, to him at least.

"Hey, we couldn't help but notice how hot you look tonight Sasuke-kun…" The two girls from before smiled at him. One had long, messy red hair and the other's was jet black.

"Especially when you taught that naughty boy a lesson." The red head cooed.

He took another swig of his drink and brought the back of his hand across his lips, throwing his head back and looked seductively at the two girls. What they were wearing could hardly be called clothing. _I will get back at that stupid girl._

"Wanna go upstairs?"

OoOoOoOoO

Neji was bored out of his mind as he sat quietly in his seat and watched all the others have fun. He had had to go as student body president. Always be polite and always make an appearance.

He should have been doing homework or practicing his new sequence, not sitting here being bored. He came here to take his mind off of the events of the day before.

But he could hardly focus on anything anymore; his thoughts were filled solely on Hinata.

_Why did she leave…? And why did she come back? I heard the rumors of why she left…but I hardly believe them to be true…_His hand kneaded his temple as the music pounded in his ears. _She's changed so much…she seems so much stronger than before…and she's grown…dare I think it, out of her awkward phase…_He sighed and stood up, deciding to leave early. _There's no use in staying anymore…I can't focus on anything…and the environment isn't helping me at all…_

"Ah, Neji-kun you going somewhere?" Neji couldn't help but twitch at the word '-kun' after his name. No one called him that except those three girls.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Thank you for inviting me….it was…fun." He mumbled awkwardly, not knowing how to hide the fact that he had had a terrible time. It was a good thing he didn't have to try too hard.

"Okay bye Neji-kun!" Sakura smiled and waved.

"I must be going crazy…" Neji whispered under his breath as he walked the distance to his car. "I must be."

Neji ended up sitting in his car going nowhere fast. _This is crazy…it changes so much…_he picked up the manila folder in the passenger seat and opened it up.

His little innocent cousin peered up at him, a sweet smile on her face.

He was normally not allowed to take school property such as this, but it was too important to leave behind. It was all he knew about her anymore. _Her address…I've memorized it…thought of it hundreds of times…should I go see her…? Do I really want to talk to her again after she left us on her own?_

_Because she left…our family has suffered…she was the adhesive glue…and it all fell apart. We can not even be called a family anymore._ He slammed his fist on the steering wheel and the horn went off, scaring him out of his episode.

Neji finally started his car, put the folder aside and drove off towards his house. _I never get like this…I'll go confront her tomorrow for sure._

OoOoOoOoO

Foreign hands on his body, and nameless women nipping at his neck, Sasuke drowned his anger in pleasure. Of course, he was so intoxicated at that point that it didn't even matter anymore. He let the girls he 'picked up' do what they wanted with him and just relaxed into his dazed state.

"Sasuke-kun! It's no fun when you don't do anything…!"

"Yeah Sasuke-kun! Please kiss me or something!"

Sasuke groaned and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Without so much as a word, he pressed his lips to one of the girls and cupped the other's breast so roughly that he solicited moans from the two of them. They giggled and grabbed at him again, whispering love confessions and begging him for more.

It was always like that.

These girls were nothing to him though, just 'today's meat'. As he continued to delve into the pleasure of a woman's body, all thought processes ceased and instinct took over. In the end it wouldn't matter anyways.

Never at any moment did he feel sorry for himself, for turning into this. But it was not in his ability to feel remorse or such petty things like shame.

Those feelings were what got people hurt.

_That stupid girl…she should suffer. I hate her! I hate her for making me feel things! It ends starting now. This is payback._

Something in the back of his mind scoffed, though he was too drunk to hear,

_Some way to get back at her…_

OoOoOoOoO

"Ryouichi hurry up we're going to be late to my first day of work!" Hinata was rushing along the street, her son trailing slightly behind her, out of breath once again.

"O-Okaa-san I can't keep up with you!" Ryouichi tried as hard as he could but with his backpack weighing him down and Hinata's longer legs, it seemed like everything was set against him.

"I'm sorry Ryouichi, just hold on a little longer!"

"Hai…" The poor boy wheezed.

Hinata pulled her son into the shop and sighed in relief. Right on the dot. No customers were in there yet.

"Ah! The temp is here!" The owner of Ichiraku's Ramen called out. Hinata turned to the voice and smiled graciously.

"Yes, I a-am the temp, Hyuuga Hinata. T-thank you for a-allowing me to h-have this job!" She bowed low and raised her head only when the man started talking again.

"Well let's not waste any time! I have Ayame-chan's uniform in the back, please get changed." The old man peered around Hinata at the pouting child holding on to her skirt. Hinata blushed and pushed Ryouichi forward.

"Ano, t-this is…m-my son. Ryouichi. I-is it okay f-for him to m-maybe stay w-with me?" Hinata turned to Ryouichi and whispered, "Say hi." Hinata was nervous about how Ryouichi would be received. It obviously wasn't the norm to have a teenager with a child…that knowledge was enough for anyone to fire her.

"I am Ryouichi." The boy grumbled and bowed to the older man, blushing at the sub-dominance he had to portray as a youngster. The man smiled and kneeled down to the boy's level.

"Ah, very nice to meet you Ryouichi," He held his hand out for the little boy to grasp. He didn't. The man laughed heartily and pinched the child's cheek teasingly. "Cheeky one this is. I'm Teuchi, let's work hard!"

Hinata smiled and nodded. "I will try my h-hardest!"

Little Ryouichi rubbed his cheek and pouted in a huff, mumbling under his breath about stupid old men who didn't know their place. Teuchi suddenly picked him up and placed the struggling boy on the bar stool in front of the cooking area. "You can sit here and stay close to your mom." He winked at the boy.

"I don't need to always be near my mom you know!" Ryouichi grumbled and crossed his arms defiantly. Teuchi laughed at his display.

"You are quite the young man!" He was interjected with an 'I'm not young'. "You know, I have a customer who looks a lot like you. The resemblance is uncanny. Of course, maybe you're his twin from another generation, as they say." _Do they really say that? _Ryouichi wondered. _I'm sure he got that mistaken…_

"Whatever, I'm me. I don't care about anyone else." Ryouichi glared at the old man and pulled out something to work on as his mother entered the kitchen behind the bar counter.

"Ryouichi, p-please don't be s-so rude. Apologize." Hinata gave him a stern look and the boy faltered quickly.

"Sorry…"the boy mumbled head bent over the counter. Teuchi laughed.

"Are you saying sorry to me or the wood? It's okay young man!" Teuchi leaned forward and whispered as if he held the most amazing secret. "Being cheeky is how you get through life, so don't lose it!" he smiled and backed away. Ryouichi blinked in surprised.

"Hai…I won't." And Ryouichi turned to his work, a small smile on his face as the older ones got to work.

The boy had started on a new project.

It was a picture of Teuchi as he held his hand up to his mouth as if trying to hide a secret.

_I wonder…if this is what it feels like to have an Otou-san…_

OoOoOoOoO

Neji had been walking for a full hour, totally horrified by what he was seeing.

When he followed this address, he expected it to be a comfortable living place, not too luxurious, but simple, like the Hinata he once knew.

Then what the hell was this dump?!

_Am…I at the right place…? _Neji couldn't help but wonder as he stared apprehensively at the building number. _C2…_He looked down at the paper in his hands and stared. _Yes…it is._ He could have sworn he would have started twitching if someone hadn't called out to him.

"Hey pretty you lost? I can help you find your way home…" There was a laugh in the voice and Neji easily pinpointed the direction and saw his supposed 'savior'. He had grey hair and a purple beanie on.

"Excuse me, but I have nothing to do with you." Neji sniffed indignantly and turned back to his previous studying of the address. _Building C2…level three…_

"What?! You have some nerve! Whore!" A hand reached out to grab him but Neji's reflexes were faster than that and caught it easily. He fell into a defensive stance.

"I have practiced twenty-eight different styles of martial arts and have a black belt in sixteen of them. Do not mock me with your simple moves." He twisted the man's arm easily behind his back and held his wrist in the 'lock' hold. "I can break your wrist easily in this position." Neji put some strain on it to show the man what he meant. He cried out in pain.

"Stop! Please!"

"And I would also like to state that I am indeed, a male. Please do not mock me with your words either." And with that, Neji shoved the man to the ground and growled. "I would also advise you to stop your ways now, or else I'll hunt you down." The man ran away before he even finished his sentence. He smirked but it quickly dissipated as he remembered _this_ was where Hinata lived. _It's not safe for a girl; alone…I have to get her out of here…_

He walked up to the building, taking the steps up to the third floor and stared at four different apartment doors with different numbers on them. He didn't need to look down at the paper anymore. He already knew. _Apartment 319…here it…is...? _

He stared at the door and cringed at the deterioration of the outside. _Is this really the right address? _Another glance at the paper said yes. He took a deep breath to calm himself and stared at the door in apprehension. _Am I ready for this…? What the hell am I thinking it doesn't matter if I'm ready for it! I need to find out the truth from her…_

_Here goes everything I've known…_

And he knocked on the door.

* * *

_So I read the latest chapter of Naruto and I give kudos to Sai for finally hitting Sakura back in the emotional way! Seriously it took her that long? But part of me was pissed 'cause if it does happen, what happens to Hinata? I hope she doesn't I honestly do. Oh well. I'm being vague so I don't spoil it for others. You'll see eventually. And if you need to find a site that posts all the manga chapters online, I have a few URLs, so just send me a review and I can give them to you :). They're reliable and update on the day of the English subbed release. Just trying to help my fellow fans!_

_Also, I wonder if anyone caught the subtle hint of the plot future in the last chapter…chapter three. If you have, please tell me in a review or something so I can tell you if you caught it! If not, don't worry, just look back at Chapter Three and look hard! If you haven't noticed, I like to keep the readers entertained. I keep the suspense because, honestly, that's how I like to read; to be involved in the story. Have you noticed how Hinata changes her stuttering? No stuttering with Ryouichi, little with people in general and a lot at school. It has to do with her stress levels. And I reply back to everyone who has a question, so don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for all the nice reviews. I read another writer's profile and they said that the good stories of SasuHina have all disappeared. I hope that this story will become one of the new generations of good SasuHina stories. Let's all work hard:)__! _

_Also…I have a new story Idea! I'm pretty sure it's an original also, and I'm really excited about it! It's going to be mature for sure…its very angsty (my forte!) and it has a lot of lemons in it for sure. It's still in the processing stages, but I hope to get it out in the next month or two. Please support that story as well! If you have any questions, would just like to discuss anything in this story, ask me about what happened in the latest chapter that pissed me off so much, or just want to talk Naruto, just send me a review and I'll answer right away. Thank you for the support. Until Next time,_

_P.S. – How was Ryouichi now? Did I do okay? Please tell me._

_Trinity Effect_


	5. Chapter Five: If today is anything

_I'm getting excited for this story to start moving towards the plot, I wonder how Sasuke will take to Ryouichi. I don't even know actually, I haven't thought of that quite yet…lol. I tend to improvise…Thank you for all the sweet reviews, they never cease to put a smile on my face. I would also like to extend the readers' ability to be a part of the story. Feel free to tell me what you want to see in the story, I need ideas anyways and sometimes many people collaborating brings out bigger results! As of yet no one has figured out the hint to the future plot…please try harder! (*cough cough the clue is in this chapter as well cough cough*) I want to know that you guys are reading! Lol. Please enjoy the next chapter, though honestly it feels like a filler to me (the beginning does, though it does have an integral part in the story that brings Sasuke and Hinata together ;))._

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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* * *

  
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**Chapter Five: If Today is Anything to Go By…**

The door didn't open.

Neji pounded harder, feeling suddenly anxious and frustrated.

"What the hell do you want?!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door, confusing Neji. "I'm coming! Jeez…" The door opened and a man around the age of fifty with a beer in his and a pungent stench wafting after him peered blearily at the teenager.

_This is where Hinata lives…?! _Neji thought he might faint; and Neji never fainted.

"Uh…" He stared dumbfounded at the unkempt man in front of him. The man took a swig of his beer and glared angrily at Neji.

"What do you want?! If you're just gonna stand there like an idiot, take your prissy ass somewhere else, I'm not interested!" The man moved to close the door but Neji stopped him with a hand. The man tried to struggle against his hold.

"Does a Hyuuga Hinata live here by any chance?" Neji asked through gritted teeth. What the hell did the man mean 'I'm not interested'? As if he was selling himself? He wouldn't to a man such as that…

"What?" The man's glare disappeared and a smile of unkempt teeth revealed themselves. "Ah, Hinata-chan! She lives at 319. Sweet child…gorgeous too…brought dinner over for me once." The man seemed to go into a stupor and Neji had to control himself before he hit the man.

"This _is _319." Neji pointed at the door and the man looked at the numbers before scoffing at him.

"Wow, teenagers…" The man shook his head as if disappointed in the direction teenagers' lives had gone. _He shouldn't be saying anything…_ "That doesn't say 319 idiot. It's _316._" The man reached up and turned the nine till it pointed up, in the shape of a six.

_Well shit._

"The apartment you want is over there. It's not like you'd want her anyways though, she's not what someone like you should mess with, she doesn't need another one night deal." And with that the man slammed the door in Neji's face.

_She lives in _this _environment?! And that man was drooling when I mentioned her…What did he mean 'doesn't need another one night deal'…? _So many questions ran through his head as he moved towards the real 319 apartment, feeling especially frustrated because he had to go through the suspense for a second time. _Okay…_

He knocked again.

And again.

And another time.

After what seemed like an hour, it seemed apparent that Hinata would not be opening the door anytime soon. _So she's not home…?_ He gritted his teeth once again and laid his forehead against the surface of the door. He hit it in frustration.

_It's not fair! I'm always so close and then…she seems like she's thousands of miles away! I want results! I have to find a way to get to her…I'll try again tomorrow I guess…_

The disheartened boy left.

OoOoOoOoO

"Good work today!" Teuchi smiled at the exhausted Hinata who was sweating up a storm from behind the cooker.

"Hai!" Hinata smiled and bowed respectfully.

"So you can come tomorrow after school right?" Teuchi was putting up the extra ingredients lying around and turning off the stove. "I could really use your work, you did an amazing job, you have a good eye for food!"

"Ah thank you Teuchi-san. Yes I would love to come work for you tomorrow!" Hinata smiled and placed her apron on the hook before exiting the kitchen. Teuchi followed her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl turned slightly, confused. The old man smiled gently and placed an envelope in her hand.

"You're pay for today." When Hinata became flustered and tried to return the money, Teuchi gently pushed her towards her son. "You need it. And you honestly deserve it. Please except it." Hinata sighed and slightly nodded, looking absolutely devastated about the matter.

"Ryouichi?" Hinata gently nudged the boy but he refused to move. Hinata looked up at the on looking Teuchi and smiled, "I guess he was really tired…" She voiced her goodbyes before picking up a sleeping Ryouichi and exiting the shop.

_Teuchi-san gave me over twice the pay he had originally offered…even though I appreciate the thought…no one should waste that much on me…I'm not worth all that…_She glanced down at the bundle in her arms and smiled sadly. _Ryouichi is worth it though. I have to keep him happy…he can't suffer because of me._

Hinata was just about to open the door to her apartment when someone called her from behind.

"Hinata, do you have the rent for this month?" A sleazy man with grey hair and blue lipstick asked her, walking up to her and leaning against the door, making sure she could not enter unless she paid up. Hinata moved back a little and dug into her pocket, pulling out the money for the rent payment. He grabbed all of the money from her hands before she could do anything and smirked, walking off and waving over his shoulder. "Consider the next month paid for as well! Pleasure doing business with you!"

Hinata stared in shock but was unable to fight it. She trudged into her house, laid Ryouichi on the bed, tucked him in, and sat at the table in the living room, pulling out her supply of money. _Okay…Sakon-san took a little more than half of the money Teuchi-san gave me…that's more than double the rent! That's not right…but what can I do…absolutely nothing…I have enough emergency money for two weeks of groceries…That's it. _Hinata sighed and fisted her hands in her hair. _It should work…I just have to work harder!_

_But tomorrow…_

_I have to go to school…_

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata had already known she probably wouldn't have the _best _day at school the next day…

But seriously?

Hinata's locker had been tampered with, books missing, which she found later, along with her lunch, in the bottom of a trashcan. She could have sworn she had been tripped more than usual, and had somehow found soup in her hair during lunch at her lunch table.

She tried to take it in stride; she knew what she was setting herself up for when she decided not to go to the party.

"Hinata…you don't have to go through this…"Kiba murmured quietly as she came out of the bathroom, just having washed and dried her hair in the hand dryer dispenser.

Hinata smiled cheerfully at him. "I don't regret my decision…I just have to live with the consequences. I'm fine Kiba-kun, I can handle myself." They walked together to the library for their free period. Kiba still frowned.

"Still…why is Sakura so set on hurting you?" Kiba growled as he said her name, wishing he could rip her to shreds.

"Hm…I believe it is because I threaten her." When Kiba looked to her to elaborate, she added, "She thinks I'm trying to take Sasuke away from her I think." Kiba started to laugh at that, holding his stomach because he was laughing so hard. Hinata giggled along with him.

"She must be the densest woman on the planet! _You_ want Sasuke?!" The two entered the library and Kiba got a warning glare from the librarian. He finished off in a whisper, "That's the funniest load of Platypus shit I've ever heard!" Hinata looked at him in confusion as they took their seats, pausing before she sat down.

"Platypus…?" Kiba nodded.

"Anyways, if people continue to do this, it might get dangerous you know…" Kiba and Hinata sighed in sync.

"But if I try to tell on everyone…it'll only get worse…" Kiba frowned at the truth in her statement. "I came from Suna High though so I'll live."

"I sure hope so…" Kiba smirked suddenly. "If anyone messes with you, just tell me and I'll beat them up!" He pounded his fist into his palm and drew a smile from the dark-haired girl.

"Hai!"

Free period went without a hitch and Hinata finished her homework from her earlier classes and found time to tutor Kiba in Economics. As they were walking up the stairs however, Hinata was tripped once again, by a boy she'd never seen before. Kiba caught her before she went down but the boy, unbalanced, fell down the stairs.

Hinata, being the selfless girl that she was, ripped her arm away from Kiba's grip and ran down the steps after the boy, who had just become the laughing stock of all the other kids in the hallway. She kneeled before him and her hands fluttered over him in worry.

"Does a-anything h-hurt?" She asked seriously, helping the boy up to a sitting position. He just glared and pulled his arm away from her. When he tried to get up, the boy hissed in pain and his hands automatically moved to his ankle.

"It's all you fault! You should feel responsible! I'll sue you!" The boy screamed at her, eyes abnormally bright as the other students continued to laugh at him as they sidestepped the two kids.

"I apologize, but y-you have to a-admit that it wouldn't have happened i-if you weren't t-trying to trip me." Hinata went to wrap the boy's arm around her shoulder and when the boy tried to withdraw angrily, she gave him a stern look which he meekly followed.

She slowly tried to lift him but he was much too big compared to her and she was having some trouble because he wasn't trying to make the task any easier on her. Suddenly the boy was instantly hoisted in the air and Hinata glanced at the other side of him and found Kiba smiling back at her. "I can't leave you to suffer this loser's presence by yourself can I?" Hinata smiled.

"Thank you Kiba-kun." Hinata said as the threesome made their way to the nurse's office. "But he's not a loser." The boy stared at her in shock and Hinata smiled kindly at him. He suddenly blushed and looked away. Hinata just shrugged it off.

"What happened?" Shizune asked instantly as she saw the boy being helped into the office.

"Ano…H-he fell d-down the stairs…" Hinata answered quickly, she knew Kiba would add the tripping part if he were to talk first. The boy looked at her gratefully.

"Seriously…" Shizune helped the boy up onto a bed and went about treating the swelling ankle.

"Hinata, we should probably get to class now…" Kiba looked longingly towards the door and then turned back to Hinata, pleading. She smiled at him in sympathy but shook her head. Her action didn't go unnoticed by the boy.

"I want to m-make sure he's okay first, and t-then I'll g-go. You can l-leave if you want…" Kiba shook his head forcefully.

"Nah, I'll stay with you." The boy had been treated and Shizune was putting away her tools when he suddenly cleared his throat and murmured.

"Sorry for what I did…" Hinata smiled and shook her head at him.

"I-it's okay, I'm g-glad that you're o-okay." The boy blushed and just stared at Hinata; Kiba gritted his teeth. "What's y-your name by t-the way?"

"Uh…I'm Sakima."

"W-well Sakima-san, I'm Hinata a-and this i-is Kiba-kun." Hinata gestured to the unruly boy beside her and gave him a forceful look. Kiba coughed awkwardly and glanced away, mumbling a 'Yo'.

"Are you her boyfriend?" Sakima suddenly got defensive and frowned at Kiba. Hinata blushed and looked away and Kiba's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"What the-?!"

"K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata looked at him shocked that he would yell in an office and he took a deep breath to calm down.

"No…we're friends…" It took all of his strength to not snap.

"Good." The boy mumbled and lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, deeming the conversation over. Kiba and Hinata could only stare at each other in confusion.

"Bye S-Sakima-san." Hinata whispered and Kiba just grunted and walked out of the door first.

Hinata didn't hear the boy say,

"Bye Hinata-hime..."

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata and Kiba walked into Japanese Literature class late but found the whole classroom in a ruckus and goofing off; Kakashi was late once again. Kiba and Hinata shrugged to each other and sat down in their seats, Hinata's seat behind Sasuke ('Of course' she had thought when she had it assigned to her) and Kiba two seats diagonally from her.

_So she finally makes a presence…_The change in Sasuke after that night was amazing. Sasuke had made sure not to talk to the white-eyed girl at all, not even glancing at her…most of the time. He thought he had officially gotten over…whatever was bothering him so much with her.

It was quite the opposite however.

He was masking all his mixed feelings with bitterness and hate. He couldn't help it though, it was second nature to him; life was always cruel to people who got attached to something. It was those thoughts that allowed him to continue his charade; though he had no idea it was one.

He had however, wondered what exactly it was about Hyuuga Hinata that attracted him so much. She wasn't ugly, but she didn't really do anything to play up her looks either. She was just plain. Of course, he'd never been attracted to a girl before (at all in his head) so he didn't have much to base it off of. Did feelings like this usually just strike you in one moment?

_What feelings?_

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, relaxing. If he leaned back far enough, his head would brush Hinata's arms.

He didn't think of that.

_He's pretty much laying _on _my desk…! _Hinata was leaning back as well, but for a different reason. She didn't want to be near Sasuke at all, and this was just too uncomfortable.

"Ano…U-Uchiha-san…C-could you p-please not d-do t-that?" Hinata whispered, afraid of backlash.

Black eyes snapped open to look directly in white marbles.

They closed again as their owner stretched and yawned.

Still hovering over her desk.

"U-Uchiha-san…" Hinata glanced around, worried about catching the attention of anyone else today. Most of the other students were busy with their own things.

"Shut up, you're annoying." Sasuke didn't open his eyes and continued to evade Hinata's space; he was so still she wouldn't have known it was him who spoke, but she knew his cold voice well enough.

Hinata held in a gasp and she couldn't help her eyes starting to feel abnormally wet. He always seemed to stun her with his rudeness.

Sasuke was literally laughing on the inside. _Yeah…that's how it's supposed to be. Uchiha Sasuke is back. _

Normally Hyuuga Hinata stayed in her seat as they were instructed to do at all times, even when the teacher wasn't around. But today she was feeling an abnormal pressure to go somewhere else, _any_where else the Uchiha was not. So she broke the rules for the first time ('Ha, as if' a voice murmured in her head) and went to go talk to Kiba.

Sasuke was left slightly shaken. _She left..?!_

_Well…I was being rude…but still…girls never _stop _wanting to be near me! _He grit his teeth in frustration and his eyebrows crashed down.

This is crazy!

"Sasuke-kun!" The fangirls ran over to him as if to prove his point, crowding around his desk giggling and chattering away.

"Sasuke-kun, tell them that I'm your girlfriend!" Sakura smiled at him coyly and then smirked at all the other girls. She had obviously been bragging about things she shouldn't have been talking about.

"I don't have a girlfriend." He muttered, eyes still closed.

"Eh?! But Sasuke-kun! What about all those nights when I'd go over to your hou-"

"Do you have proof of that Sakura?" Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he glared at Sakura who was becoming more and more alarmed as the other girls started to murmur about her 'lies'.

"Wha-…why do I need proof?! You know it's true! Why are you lying?" Sakura's eyes started to tear up as he smirked sadistically to her. The murmurs of the other girls increased, the same sadistic smiled placed on their faces as well.

"If you don't have proof, nothing ever existed." He nonchalantly shrugged and then his glare was back full force as he stood to his full height, towering over the pink-haired girl.

"It's not like you mean anything to me anyways."

And with that, he lounged out of the room.

White eyes watched him with fear and apprehension.

_Right at this moment I_ _somehow I find myself feeling…like I hate Uchiha Sasuke…it makes me wonder…would he ever do the same to me?_

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata walked up the steps to Konoha Primary and bowed to the teacher who awaited her at the front door.

"Hinata-san, Ryouichi is waiting for you inside." Hinata smiled.

"Thank you Konan-san, I w-will go to h-him now." Hinata moved to walk past the teacher but the taller woman stopped her. Hinata looked at her questioningly.

"Hinata-san, if it is okay, may we talk for a moment?"

"D-did…Ryouichi do something w-wrong?" Hinata's eyes held concern as her face fell instantly. Konan smiled reassuringly and shook her head.

"Not something wrong." She gestured to her office. "Come, I will explain all the details." Hinata nodded dazedly and followed the blue haired woman.

"Now what I'm about to say, probably won't come as a surprise to you." Konan sat down in her chair and Hinata stood in front of her desk, feeling out of place. "I'm sure you've noticed how intuitive Ryouichi is."

"Yes…b-but what does t-that have to do with anything…?"

Konan looked slightly embarrassed for a moment but easily controlled it. "I had requested that Ryouichi take an aptitude test last week…and the results are in."

Hinata looked positively perplexed. "A-an aptitude test? I didn't a-authorize tha-"

"You don't have to." Konan picked up a thick handbook and pointed to a saved page, turning it around so Hinata could view as well. "Code 86 in the Konoha Education system: If a teacher deems a student eligible for a leveling test, parental consent is not required." Konan read aloud.

"O-okay…so Ryouichi took this test…what h-happened?" Hinata seemed anxious, the suspense was killing her. What would happen to her Ryouichi?

"He passed. With flying colors." Konan stood and looked at Hinata, stating with the utmost seriousness,

"As required by the Konoha school board after passing such a test, Ryouichi will be transferred out of this school by the end of next week." Hinata's eyebrows instantly shot down.

"T-transferred?! B-but he didn't nothing w-wrong!" Konan smiled once again, shaking her head at Hinata's response.

"He will be transferred to a new school…" Konan smiled and took Hinata's hand, shaking it in congratulations. Hinata's arm seemed to wobble like jell-o, her body was so numb.

"Congratulations Hinata-san, in two weeks your son will be a third grader at Konoha Elementary."

OoOoOoOoO

The only thoughts that could go through Hinata's head as she worked at Ichiraku's was, _What. Just. Happened?!_

Hinata toiled over the stove, sneaking glances at her new 'third grader'. She hadn't told him yet, but how would she even tell him that he'd be going to a new school? _All of this is happening too fast for me to comprehend…_

Hinata finished plating a bowl of noodles and took it out to the customer, bowing as they thanked her. She absentmindedly bussed another one of the tables, wiping it down quickly before taking the plates and trash into the other room.

She was running on Autopilot.

"Okaa-san!" Ryouichi called to her and she quickly made her way over to him.

"Yes Ryouichi?" Hinata questioned as she automatically started cleaning up around the little boy, placing crayons in their respective spots and picking up accumulating trash. Ryouichi sighed at his mother's actions.

"Okaa-san, can I have some ramen? I'm getting hungry…" Hinata smiled and nodded. "Sure, the usual?" Ryouichi nodded and smiled at her.

"Ah, Hinata-chan, don't worry about it, I'll give him his food, you just worry about the customers!" Teuchi grinned at her and Hinata smiled in reply.

"Hai!"

The door opened and a dark haired woman wearing a sun hat walked in, seating herself with her back towards Hinata. Hinata innocently went up to the woman, notebook and pen in hand.

"W-welcome to Ichiraku's! What w-would you like to o-order?" The lady looked up as she took off her sun hat and placed it beside her. Hinata gasped. "Kurenai-sensei?!"

"Ah, Hinata-chan!" A heartwarming smile appeared on the red-eyed beauty's face. "What are you doing here?"

"A-ano… I work h-here." Hinata pointed to her uniform, a genuine smile on her face. "W-what are you d-doing here?"

Kurenai answered smoothly, "I was walking by and remembered Naruto saying the ramen here was amazing…I wanted to see if the idiot was right." Hinata giggled at her sensei's words.

"It s-should be, Teuchi-san i-is an a-amazing cook." Hinata blushed and fiddled with the notebook.

"Then can I have one spicy ramen please?"

"H-hai it'll be right out!" And Hinata ran off towards the kitchen.

It was once she arrived there that she realized her problem.

_Kurenai-sensei is here…and so is Ryouichi! How do I get out of this? Maybe she'll leave without me having to worry too much about it…_Hinata gathered her teacher's order and brought it over to her table, setting it before Kurenai.

"Here's y-your s-spicy ramen." Hinata gathered the tray and was about to rush off when Kurenai stopped her.

"Say Hinata-chan, when do you get off work? Maybe we can get some coffee together or something?" Hinata almost cringed. It seemed only when she was being hopeful that everything turned out wrong.

"A-ano, I g-get off a-at closing t-time, it'll be too l-late then…m-maybe some o-other time…?"

"No, I refuse. I'll wait for you to finish off with work and you will invite me to your house." Kurenai said in a strict voice and Hinata blushed madly. "Just kidding!" She stated cheerfully. Hinata sighed.

"But I'm still coming over."

What was Hinata supposed to do?

All of the customers had left, and Teuchi was closing down the shop.

Kurenai was still sitting at her booth, somehow managing to entertain herself for four hours.

Ryouichi was sitting on his stool yawning, it was past his bed time.

_How do I get out of this…?!_ Hinata racked her brain for an idea, but nothing seemed to come to mind. She couldn't disrespect a teacher by ditching her, but what would happen if she found out about Ryouichi? Of course, a little boy sitting alone at a bar during closing hours was enough to draw attention.

"Hey, little boy, why're you sitting here all alone?" Kurenai asked of Ryouichi as she walked up to him. Ryouichi, already grumpy, retorted none too happily,

"I'm waiting for my Okaa-san, not that it matters to you."

_Done in by the son…_Hinata couldn't help but think in exasperation.

"Eh?! What kind of mother leaves her child waiting at a restaurant for her? It's closing hours, son." Ryouichi seemed to puff up like an angry rooster at this.

"Don't say that about my Okaa-san, she'd never leave me! She's in the back getting ready to leave! So why don't you just leave me alone you old hag?!" Ryouichi grumped and turned away from the red-eyed lady, whose anger seemed to grow by the minute.

As a mother Hinata couldn't let this go on.

"Now you see here bo-"

"Ryouichi, apologize." Hinata deadpanned; dread filling her body at this confrontation. After her first week at Konoha High, she had found Kurenai-sensei to be her favorite and most relatable teacher; she was so confident in everything she said and did that she reminded her a lot of Naruto and the confidence she lacked.

Ryouichi change in expression was instantaneous. "Sorry…"

Kurenai looked between the apologizing boy and her student, confusion evident on her face. "Hinata-chan, you know this kid?" Ryouichi did a double take and a scoff was heard from him.

"Know me? She's my Okaa-san!" Hinata blushed and when Kurenai stared at her in question, Hinata meekly nodded. Ryouichi, sensing his mother's distress, jumped down from his perch on the stool and ran to hug his mother's legs tightly, glaring at Kurenai. Hinata's hand instantly went to her child's head.

"Hinata-chan…What's the meaning of this…?" Kurenai stared in shock, unable to form coherent thoughts anymore. Hinata smiled sadly.

"This is the consequence of the best mistake I ever made."

OoOoOoOoO

Kurenai thought she had been in shock when she found out her prized student held the biggest secret in the history of Konoha High.

The state of the two children's (for that was the only thing she could call them) apartment was probably the worst thing she'd seen in the history of her _life_.

"So…he is Uchiha Sasuke's child…figures…besides the absolute resemblance, I wouldn't put it past the Uchiha to have impregnated a girl at the age of thirteen." Kurenai sighed over her cup of Jasmine Tea, exhausted from the revelation that happened upon her by chance. "So how old were you when you gave birth…?" Hinata smiled gently.

"A-ano…Ryouichi w-was conceived when I was twelve, but I have birth to him in March…so I was thirteen then." Kurenai stared at Hinata in awe.

"All alone you gave birth?" Hinata smiled and shook her head.

"No, n-not all alone." She would not elaborate after that.

Kurenai couldn't help but feel pity for this kind little girl, who seemed so modest and sweet, but had to deal with such a huge burden. She made one mistake, yes, but there were girls like Sakura and Ino (Kurenai knew what they did with guys, just because she was a teacher it didn't mean she was deaf) who did worse things and yet did not have to deal with consequences such as these.

_Hinata doesn't deserve this burden…if anything, girls like them do._ Kurenai watched quietly as Hinata stroked little Ryouichi's hair as he slept with his head in her lap. _He sure has his father's personality…but it seems Hinata's got a good reign on his actions, he instantly listens to what she says…and there is a good amount of love in their relationship. It almost seems like…it's not a burden for Hinata. She seems content with her life as it is now._ Kurenai smiled to herself. _She is quite the woman._

"Hinata-chan," Kurenai whispered and moved to get up from her seat. "I think I'll be taking my leave now, it's almost midnight."

"E-eh?! Already? O-okay one moment l-let me walk you to the door…!" Hinata rushed to pick up Ryouichi and place him on the bed before running back into the living room to let out Kurenai.

"Thank you for having me over Hinata, and thank you for telling me your story. I'll see you on Wednesday." Kurenai smiled kindly.

"H-hai, of course, c-come over anytime. See y-you on Wednesday, be c-careful g-going home!" Hinata smiled and waved from the doorway as Kurenai walked down the stairs.

Once Kurenai hit the main part of the road, she pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and pressed speed dial.

"You were right about Hinata." She stated into the phone, a sigh in her voice. The other person spoke back.

"No, she didn't tell me, her son did. He's an exact replica of his father, no joke." The other person replied and Kurenai chuckled. She quickly sobered though.

"Their living conditions are a cause for concern however…they live in a terrible neighborhood and a terrible apartment; the walls were practically alive with all the mold and who knows what around there; that can't be good for the body." The voice on the other end seemed to get more worried.

"You're right, we can't keep this going on this way, we have to get them out of there-" Kurenai was cut off.

"What?!" Kurenai has screamed so loud, that other walkers stared at her as they walked by. She glared at all of them. "That's the last thing you should do! I don't think it would work at all!" Another reply.

"No I honestly don't! That boy is a lost cause; you'll only ruin their lives! They're happy the way they are now!" The voice became urgent and Kurenai growled in frustration.

"Are you really going to go through with this? I'm begging you, please don't do it…" Kurenai sighed as the voice on the other line continued.

"You're right…but are you truly willing to risk Hinata's little happiness on that small factor?"

"Well whatever I say won't sway you're decision anyways…did you know you are too stubborn to compute?"

A laugh was heard on the other line.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata finally got to bed, cuddling close to Ryouichi, but she could not go to sleep. So many things had happened today.

She had been through her first day of tormenting at the hands of Haruno Sakura, she had watched the father of her child practically break said girl in front of a whole class, she found out that Ryouichi would be sent to third grade at the age of four and her secret had been found out by her favorite teacher at school.

She still hadn't told Ryouichi he would be skipping four grades…pre-K to third was quite a leap. But she knew Ryouichi could handle it; he was always the strong one.

_If this keeps up…I'll be too tired to do anything anymore…_She sighed and turned off the lamp beside her.

_Must rest up for tomorrow…if today was anything to go by, tomorrow will be worse._

_

* * *

_

_Well, I finally got another chapter out! I would like to just state right now, all of the characters you see in this story except for Ryouichi are from Naruto. Even the beer guy (whose name I forgot) and Sakima (he was one of the boys caught cheating during the Chuunin exams.) None of these minor characters have any true use for the plot, I used the beer guy to make Neji's ordeal harder, and Sakima's reason will be shown in the next chapter. Also if you noticed and are an avid Naruto fan, you'd know that Sakon who took the rent, was one of the sound four that took Sasuke from Konoha in the Manga. If you'd like to know the URL for the site I use to research every single character that appears on Naruto, don't hesitate to ask, I'll be sure to give it to you :). Don't worry the story starts to move starting next chapter I believe. Thank you for all the kind reviews you guys sent me; it's what got me through my crummy week and continued writing! Please try to find my clue to the future plot!! It played a bigger role this time. Review if you think you found it this time!! I'll tell you if you're right. Also if you'd like to guess at the plot, I'd be happy to tell you if you're right. Please feel free to leave ideas, or anything you'd like to see in the story and I'll try to incorporate it in (if it's reasonable of course ;)) .Didn't the chapter feel filler-ish this time? I thought so…lol. Until next time,_

_Trinity Effect_


	6. Chapter Six: The Meetings?

_Sorry for the long wait you guys…my college classes just ended, so I had finals, and I have Dance Team practices now since school's starting in less than ten days…and on top of that I had actual dance classes and I went on vacation with my family for two days…but I worked on this chapter there, so I wasn't slacking off I swear._

_**Important**_

_A few of you had noticed, and told me, about a story on fanfiction, almost exactly like mine (actually the general setting and the summary were almost exactly like mine). Hinata has a child, (four years old as well) and moves back to her city and etc. Thank you for all of you who tried to defend my story and tell me about it, I've been so busy that I would not have caught it without your help :) Well I talked to the authors, and they apologized, but I don't think they really learned their lesson, the way they blew it off, just kinda hinted at it. I allowed them to continue writing the story though, so don't go off on them okay? I'm confident enough in my story to not force them to quit; and after asking them what their plot was, it is definitely not going in the same direction as mine, so it's essentially not the same story. I do have to admit though, I was kinda pissed. But let's look at it positively for you the readers: if you don't like my story or where it's going, you can read that one! It's like a buy one get one free sale! I of course hope you continue to support my story, who says you can't support both?_

_Well enough of this, enjoy the next chapter! It's a long one…_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Meeting(s)?**

When Hinata walked up the steps to Konoha High School the next morning, she had mentally prepared herself for the torture she was about to ensue once again.

_Here we go…_Hinata entered the school and walked briskly down the hall to avoid any potential threats, looking over her shoulder often just to make sure nothing came from behind.

Bam!

"A-ano I'm s-so sorry!" Hinata mumbled from her position on the floor, the person she hit had his limbs tangled in hers. Hinata blushed a cherry red and moved to get up quickly. "I-I wasn't w-watching where I w-was g-going…" Hinata didn't dare look up; she knew she would be hit with cuss words or something even worse.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Here let me help you up Hinata-sama- I-I mean….Hinata-san…" Hinata's eyes widened and she looked up at the person who had grabbed her hand and was lifting her up. She had never seen the boy before, so how did he know her name?

Hinata could only stare dumbly as the boy rushed to pick up her things around her, handing them to her with a blush on his face. "Here you go Hinata-san! Sorry for bumping into you!" And the boy rushed off.

_What. Is. Going. On? _Deciding to think nothing of it, Hinata moved to her locker, wary. When she opened it, she expected snakes to come out, or maybe find her books missing….

Everything was set up neatly.

"What's going on here…?!" Hinata mumbled under her breath and looked around suspiciously, expecting anything at any moment. _I was ready for the teasing…so why isn't there any?! _It was then that Hinata noticed the many eyes glued to her small frame.

All of them boys'.

_Why're they looking at me…? _All the boys blushed when she looked at them and pretended to do something else, but Hinata wasn't so stupid as to not notice their obvious faking. Closing her locker, Hinata walked towards her Homeroom, noticing more and more looks from students.

"Ah Hinata-san let me get that for you!" Another boy she'd never met opened the hallway door for her and stood to the side with his head held up proudly, a deep blush staining his cheeks.

"A-ano…Thank you v-very m-much." Hinata nodded once in thanks and slipped through the door, becoming even more confused. Who were these people?! She heard the boy make a noise remarkably like a squeal as she passed him, and whispering to himself,

"Hinata-sama thanked me!"

_Hinata….-sama…?! I'm not anyone famous or anything…what is up with this? I'm so confused…is this another prank? _Hinata sighed in relief when she made it into her Homeroom classroom, surprised to find the only one there was Kiba.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata smiled and made her way to his side. He seemed grouchy about something, slumping in his chair with his hands crossed in front of his chest stiffly. Hinata sat down next to him apprehensively, watching him continue to act like a statue.

Suddenly the statue came to life.

"Do you know what I heard this morning?!" Kiba growled and suddenly shifted towards her, making Hinata jump in alarm.

"Uhm…Not really…care to tell me?"

Kiba snorted angrily and started rambling. "So I walk into school this morning, just the usual stuff going on, and I hear these guys, talking about you!" He continued to ramble but Hinata talked over him.

"Talk about me…? What did they say exactly?"

"Let me finish first!" Kiba snorted again. Hinata wondered if he was part bull. "Anyways, I go up to them and ask them why they're talking about you, and they said they're starting a fan club because you're the 'Homely, Nice Girl' of the school and they asked me to join! It's all that Sakima guy's fault for telling everyone about you being nice!" Hinata blushed at his words.

"A f-fan club?!" Kiba nodded stiffly, thoroughly peeved.

"I swear these hormonal teenagers piss me off!" Hinata couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Kiba-kun…You're one of them as well…" He seemed to take that to great offense.

"Don't group me with those _things_!" Hinata faltered and apologized instantly. Kiba sighed. "I'm sorry…it's just stupid that they'd do those things...and I'm protective of my friends…so if they did anything, I'd be pissed off beyond hell…heck I already am!" Hinata nodded in understanding and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, I appreciate it, really I do. But don't you think…"She paused for a second. "Don't you think this is a good thing…?"

"How?!"

"Because I didn't get bullied when I walked into school this morning." Kiba relented after a few minutes.

"Fine…but if they make one move…I'm killing them." He gave her a pointed look. "And you can't stop me." Hinata nodded resolutely, a smile on her face.

"I would never…"

School was going by fast; it was already lunch time.

"So guys, I was thinking that we should go to the mall one of these days…" Tenten then turned and glanced at Hinata who was eating her bento innocently. "Or we could have that movie night we've been meaning to have…"

"Hm, I can't go this weekend, I'm helping my father catalog the new deer herd that was just brought in." Shikamaru stated from his laying position on the edge of the water fountain.

"Gai-sensei and I are going to show our expressions of youth by doing frog jumps around the Konoha city limits!! If you'd like you may join us!!"

"No." Everyone answered at once. Lee just shrugged.

"I will do enough for all of you combined! Do not fear!!" He gave his good guy pose.

"That's not what I'm worried about…" Chouji stage whispered and got laughs from the others.

"Well I'm up to going, I got time to chill." Kiba shrugged nonchalantly behind his steaming ramen noodles.

Tenten turned to Hinata eagerly, but one look at her face and her expression dropped. "Lemme guess…you're….'busy'." Hinata smiled awkwardly and apologized relentlessly.

"I'm sorry…but I can't afford to hang out right now…maybe some other time…" Hinata attempted a smile but Tenten's mood was already dampened.

"Yeah, yeah, you know if you weren't so cute, I'd kick your butt…" Hinata giggled, knowing she was forgiven.

"I know…I promise some other time though, okay? When I'm not so busy…."

"As if that's ever going to happen…" Tenten sarcastically bit out, and Hinata smiled sadly once again.

"It might…"

"It won't." Kiba stated around his noodles, getting disgusted looks from the others. "What?!" He replied to the stares.

Hinata blushed and looked down at her hands. "I honestly am trying my hardest…please u-understand…" The others couldn't say no to a face like that.

"Aw it's okay Hinata, if you can't do it we'll just come to you!" Tenten smiled happily.

Hinata wondered exactly what they meant by …_ 'come to you'…_

OoOoOoOoO

It had frustrated him to the point of no end.

He had been so close to confronting her but nothing had come out of it.

It was like dangling a succulent piece of meat in front of a starving dog. She was at school everyday, sat at the table next to him at lunch, but he could not, for the life of him, muster the courage to go up to her and confront her. Maybe it was his brotherly love for her wellbeing that interfered; if he was to be vocal at school, people would start to talk.

Whatever it was, it frustrated him to no end that he couldn't reach out to her at the one moment he was close enough to do so.

_Tonight, I will go to her house again._

_And tonight she will not escape me._

OoOoOoOoO

It was the last period of the day, gym, and Hinata and Sasuke had the whole period to themselves.

Little did they know that they'd have to spend that free time…with each other.

In the library, the only place in the school willing to take more children.

Hinata was presently looking for a book to read, trying to ignore the dark haired boy, who seemed to find it entertaining to follow her around with his eyes and make her feel awkward. She had moved behind one of the shelves of books, trying to keep away from his cold eyes; all the other students in the library were trying to show off as much of themselves to the boy as they could.

Hinata found a book about the mind of a child (Something she was surprised to find, but interested in for Ryouichi) and went to sit down at the last empty table, which ironically enough was next to Sasuke's. She decided that she would just ignore his stares and continue reading.

Sasuke had no idea that he was staring at first. But once he caught himself and dually punished himself, he realized that it made the Hyuuga feel uncomfortable. This ultimately made him very pleased so he continued his staring. At the moment she was trying to ignore him, but it wasn't working, because she kept glancing at him nervously and shifting her weight on the seat.

_'The Inner Workings of a Child's mind'…Why is she reading a book like that? And why does our school library have the book anyways? _

He caught Hinata glancing at him again and decided to act. "What do you want?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She blushed and buried her face in her book. "'The Inner…Workings…of a Child's Mind'…? Why're you reading a shitty book like that? It's not like you have any reason to…"

Hinata gasped and gave a fearful expression at his words. Sasuke started to smirk.

"A-ano…"

"Hinata-san!" A voice called out and both dark haired teens turned to look at the new person. Sakima jogged over, waving enthusiastically. "You're looking as beautiful as ever!" Sasuke's smirk died on his face.

"Ah, Sakima-san! H-how is your l-leg?" Hinata smiled grateful that she was saved from Sasuke's looks and interactions. Sakima blushed and punched his leg.

"Doing fine! It wasn't twisted, just a bruise." He looked around Hinata and noticed Sasuke staring at him. He did a double take and nervously turned back to Hinata. "I…well I just came over to say thank you again. You've really made me into new person!" Hinata smiled gently and shook her head, a tint to her own cheeks.

"I-I couldn't d-do something like t-that…" Her eyes lighted as she remembered something from earlier in the day. "A-ano, Sakima-san?"

"Hai Hinata-san?"

"I-is it true t-that a f-fan club has been m-made for me…?" Sasuke growled quietly to himself while he watched the 'Sakumu' guy flounder for a bit before nodding hesitantly. _It's like she's rubbing this all in my face! _

"Uhm…well…yeah…" Sakima composed himself before finishing, "We made the Hinata-sama Protection Force!"

"The…H-Hinata-sama…?"

"The Hinata-sama Protection Force! We stop people from bullying you…there are already over a hundred members, both boys and girls!" Sakima grinned at his accomplishment. Hinata (and Sasuke) just stared in shock (and irritation). Sakima hesitated once more before muttering, "Is…that okay?" He looked up hopefully.

For a moment or two Hinata didn't know what expression to pull, but she finally settled on grateful. "T-thank you S-Sakima-san, that is very k-kind…A-although I don't d-deserve it…p-please extend my thanks t-to all the members, a-and tell them that t-there will be no n-need for their s-services; as long a-as they stay m-my friends and a-are kind to m-me, I'll be fine." Sakima looked dejected for a moment but bounced back instantly, a look of affection adorning his face.

"Just what to expect from Hinata-san! I will tell them so…"He leaned closer and whispered, "we will still watch out for you though, just from afar!"

"Thank y-you Sakima-san…"

"Well, I'll see you around Hinata-san!" And Sakima ran off just as fast as he had arrived.

Hinata sighed to herself and opened her book back up to continue reading. Sasuke was positively seething at this point. _So, she thinks she can just get all close to all these guys, and then just rub it in my face…_

Sasuke continued to watch her after the boy had left, and Hinata was instantly aware of his gaze, going back to fidgeting in her seat. _I hate her._

Sasuke stood and placed his hands in his pockets, giving Hinata a sparing glance as he walked by her table. Hinata's eyes followed him as he passed her by and she breathed a sigh of relief.

A bit too early.

Sasuke halted mid stride and turned slightly to her, a look of disdain on his handsome features.

"You shouldn't take that guy's words to heart, truthfully, I can say that you're the ugliest girl, no strike that, _human _I've ever seen in my life." He smirked as he watched Hinata's book drop from in front of her face. The shock was enough to send him into fits of laughter if not for his self control. _Enjoy this while you can…_ "And that fan club? Please…they probably feel sorry for you. Can't say that I don't see how, you are a pathetic little thing…" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly at the mute girl before he walked off to his car. Screw school rules, he was pissed.

_Too bad it wasn't the truth…_ Something in the back of his mind murmured.

OoOoOoOoO

Business was a little slower than usual considering Uchiha Sasuke was at the front.

He sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day; life had become as tedious as usual after he took his vow against the Hyuuga girl, his only highlight was telling her off. He slumped over the cash register, waiting for the next customer, who never seemed to arrive. He wouldn't have minded much, it was a much wanted break for him but that extra time gave him time to think.

And that meant his mind drawing towards that Hyuuga girl. He wouldn't call her by name.

_Why did I take this job anyways? I'm freaking rich…! _He sighed again and stood, yawning and stretching as he did so. Squeals were heard from the fangirls strategically set around the shop. _Oh yeah…that Baka said we should put our spare time to use…but how does that work at a ice cream shop…? I'll never understand that guy…_

In his little reverie, Sasuke didn't notice the white haired, mask clad man walk up to the cash register.

"Yo Sasuke!" Kakashi smiled and held up a hand in greeting. Sasuke couldn't tell if it was a smile or a grimace because of his perpetual mask. Sasuke sighed for the thousandth and third time and lounged over the cash register again.

"What do you want? Seeing you out of school is not a coincidence…ever." Sasuke glared at his 'favorite' teacher. He would never admit it though.

"Aw Sasuke, what a harsh thing to say to the teacher who controls your grades!" Kakashi's eye crinkled and Sasuke just knew he was smiling now, but one that held a threat.

"Whatever just get whatever you have to say out and leave."

"I'm gonna remember that when I grade midterms…"

Sasuke growled and hissed, "Come on. Seriously just get over it." Kakashi laughed awkwardly and held his hands up in defense.

"Really Sasuke, anger will do nothing but hurt you…" Sasuke scoffed.

"If you don't say what you have to say in," He looked down at his watch. "Twenty seconds, I'm leaving. Job or not."

Kakashi sighed. "Fine…" He looked around for eavesdroppers before he moved closer to Sasuke and murmured, "Has a girl caught your eye yet?" Sasuke swore under his breath and reached out at Kakashi, ready to pummel him into a bloody pulp.

"That's all you bothered me for?!" Kakashi smirked.

"Do you really believe that's it…?" Sasuke swore some more.

"No, knowing you its some real messed up shit, or maybe you're gonna tell me about those nasty books you're always reading in class…" Kakashi seemed to giggle at that.

"Those books are very uplifting I'm telling you! It teaches the passion, turmoil and heartbreak of love-"

"All with a little perverted twist. Yeah, I know." Sasuke sighed again and shook his head at the counter. He so did not want to deal with this pervert right now.

"Okay, well then…I will tell you one of the valuable lessons I learned from my 'Icha Icha Paradise' books!"

"That's okay, I insist you don't." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Oh but I do insist!" Kakashi seemed to perk up like a little school girl. "One lesson I learned from my books is," Kakashi suddenly sobered and muttered seriously, "That we must always own up to our mistakes."

Sasuke just glared at his sensei. "Wow. What an achievement. You got that out of hentai books. Amazing. Would you like a Nobel Peace prize?" Kakashi seemed to lighten up once again.

"I should get one, shouldn't I? The true winner is Jiraiya-sensei though, he truly deserves it for his insight-"

"Do you ramble like this on a regular basis?"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled once again.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi leaned on the counter and looked Sasuke directly in the eyes. "I worry for you sometimes…you need to let go of the past…and all that anger you have…It's all been done you can't chan-"

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about." Sasuke hissed deadly, and his eyes seemed to take on a blood lust hue. Kakashi stood his ground.

"I do know, and I'm trying to stop you from making the same mistakes I did." Sasuke's knuckles were turning white from where they clutched the edge of the counter, and if his bangs had not been covering his downcast eyes, Kakashi would have seen true anger in its purest form.

"You better stop while you're ahead…I'm warning you…"

"Hai, Hai…Well I think I'm done here. You're in for a big change…can't say you're ready for it though. I hope so…" And with that Kakashi left. Sasuke could only stare at the bi-polar man in confusion, pain from his memories flooding into him at an unforgivable rate.

His teacher was truly an enigma.

He was sure he hated him now.

OoOoOoOoO

It amazed Hinata how quickly the day had gone, it was her first full, normal day, in Konoha. Of course, the only bad things, which she knew would happen regardless, were Sasuke's biting words. But she put it behind her. She had picked up Ryouichi and was washing bowls for dinner (she didn't have work that day, Teuchi had to take his daughter to the doctor for her check up), humming happily to herself. _Oh I totally forgot!_

"Ryouichi come here!" Hinata called to her son as she moved into the living room and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Hai Okaa-san?" Ryouichi's face peered from behind the bedroom doorway. Hinata beckoned him to sit at the table with her. "What do you need?"

Hinata deliberated for a few moments, not sure how to word the news. "Ano…Uhm…well. I don't really know how to say this, so I think I'll just come out and say it…" Ryouichi watched his mother hesitate.

"Okaa-san, you're dawdling…" Hinata perked up and looked at her son in surprise. _No wonder they want him to skip four grades…_Hinata covered her surprise with an awkward laugh but knew her son didn't buy it.

"Sorry Ryou…" Hinata reached out and patted his head, sighing. "You're teacher confronted me, and told me some interesting news…"

"I didn't do anything wrong I swear! That boy threw sand in my eye an-!" He cut off his words as he realized from the look on his mother's face that she was not talking about that. Ryouichi shrugged meekly under his mother's stern glare.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. You will apologize for whatever you did okay?" Hinata glare softened as she finally revealed the true news. "Starting in two weeks, you'll be going to third grade…Konan-san told me that you passed the leveling test."

"What?! Third grade?! But…I can't do that!" Ryouichi looked close to tears. "I'm just getting used to this school, they can't make me move!"

"I'm sorry Ryou, but they can…and they are. It'll be fine, I'm sure." Hinata reached out to pull Ryouichi in a hug. He wouldn't let her though; he ran to the bedroom and yelled that it wasn't fair as he slammed the door shut.

_Poor guy…I know how hard it is for him to make friends and get used to the other kids…he's strong though, he's just stressed out and frustrated at the suddenness of the situation I'm sure… _Hinata sighed and laid her head on the cool wood of the table. _Sometimes I wonder how it is we keep on surviving…its pure luck…I got to get dinner on the table though. _After checking in on Ryouichi, who was wallowing in his bad mood in the bedroom, she finished preparing and setting the table for dinner.

It was then that the doorbell rang.

"One moment p-please!" Hinata called as she took off her apron and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Pounding was now heard from the door and Hinata rushed in concern.

"I-I'm sorry for t-taking so lon-" Hinata's words broke off as she saw who was standing before her, out of breath and panting from his flustered pounding.

"Hinata…" the man straightened up to his full height and tried to get a reign on his emotions.

Hinata seemed to be hyperventilating.

How did he know where she lived?!

"N-Neji-niisan…" _Ryouichi…he'll be in danger!_

"You've been gone for four years…! You didn't even leave a note, or say why!" Hinata had never seen her cousin this emotional in her life; he seemed so desperate that his usual mask of stoicism was entirely washed away. He seemed so entirely broken at that moment as he shoved his way into the small apartment, and stared in horror at her living conditions. Hinata could only blush in shame.

Neji slowly turned to her, his shocked expression easily defined on his face. "Hinata….what the hell is this…? Tell me this isn't what you left us for…" His voice broke as he said this, and Hinata couldn't help the tears pooling in her eyes, her hands covering her mouth in horror at being caught in such a position. All she could do was shake her head. This seemed to frustrate him more.

"God Damnit Hinata! Tell me this isn't what you left your family for!" He growled as anger took over. She didn't say anything, just stared at him as she shook her head harder.

That was when Ryouichi decided to make his appearance.

"Okaa-san, what's going on?" Ryouichi ran into the room innocently. His eyes caught his mother's eyes as her eyes darted to him in panic. The tears fell then, her eyes closing as if to block out the scene from her mind. Ryouichi, confused, turned to see a man in the room, one who looked surprisingly similar to his mother. The man had an appalled look on his face as he stared at the little boy in turn. "Who are you?! Why're you making my Okaa-san cry?!" Ryouichi bristled and moved in front of his mother protectively. Hinata sank to her knees shaking uncontrollably.

"Y-your….Okaa-san….?" Neji seemed to hiss, eyes narrowing. His anger was flowing to one point; the boy who claimed his mother was Hinata, _his_ innocent little cousin. "What the hell do you mean your Okaa-san?!" His voice steadily rose, unable to understand the scene before him. The boy equally glared back at his, unbeknownst to him, Uncle.

"You leave my Okaa-san alone you hear me?! She didn't do anything wrong!" Ryouichi's hands balled into fists as Neji stepped towards him and his mother.

"Who are you to tell me what to do you little-"

Ryouichi attacked.

A mess of small arms and legs pummeled Neji's bottom half, trying to get leverage on the older man to no avail. "Stop making her cry!" He yelled over and over. Neji let him continue for a few seconds before grabbing his head and straightening his arm out so that the little boy could no longer reach him, though he tried as he might. _What the hell is this?! _Neji's eyes lighted upon Hinata who had finally opened her eyes to watch in horror as her cousin fought her son.

"Ryouichi stop! Please!" She cried out to him. And it seemed as if a magic spell had hit the boy, for in mid swing he stilled and he turned slightly to look at his supposed 'Okaa-san'. Hinata whispered once again, quieter this time, "P-please…j-just stop…" With a quick glare at the man who still had his head in his hold, Ryouichi pulled away and ran to his mother's side, hands moving over her in comfort.

"O-Okaa-san…"Ryouichi's little voice broke, the confusion of the event seeming to take a toll on him; especially seeing his mother become so broken.

Neji had his hands fisted at his side, eyes lowered to the ground in suppressed rage and shame. "What are you trying to pull…?" Neji's voice was so quiet that Hinata strained to hear him. Her eyes caught his figure as he murmured again, with more emotions saturating his voice, "So were the rumors true…? Tell me the truth! This is all a lie right?! Say it's not true!"

Hinata brought up the courage to speak, apprehensive as she sat up and with Ryouichi's help stood once again. "E-eh…?"

Neji raised his head, eyes roving over Ryouichi and then upon Hinata, glaring for quite some time at where their hands were joined. No amount of denial could hinder the truth in the scene. "And judging from the similarities…that thing is Sasuke's." Neji pointed an accusing finger at Ryouichi.

"H-he's not a t-thing…he's m-my son…" Hinata started but was interrupted by an indignant Neji.

"_You should not be saying those words at all!_" Hinata stumbled back at the force of his words, dragging Ryouichi along with her.

"I-I can't change i-it n-now…I-I've been t-taking c-care of m-my own mistakes…" Hinata muttered to the ground, unable to muster the strength to look up.

"You could have changed it! You could have stopped it all! There are other options!" Neji's face was red from screaming and Hinata could see veins sticking out on his forehead and around his eyes.

"I will never resort to those measures!" Hinata yelled, her arms wrapping around a confused Ryouichi tightly. She knew what he meant; _Abortion._

"So you're willing to waste away your life like this? In this _place?"_

"You're a meanie head!" Ryouichi yelled suddenly and Neji's eyes darted to him, ready to burn him with his gaze. Hinata looked down at her son in shock but she could not see his expression. Ryouichi raised his head and glared directly at Neji, his finger coming out to jut at him in return.

"You say mean things to Okaa-san but she's been working hard for us everyday! You don't know anything so don't pretend you can lecture her! It's been the two of us alone all this time so why are you coming here all of the sudden and yelling at her?! You know nothing so just leave her alone!" Tears started to pour down the boy's face. He buried his face in Hinata's skirt, trying to hide the shameful tears. "Can't you see you're hurting her….?"

This seemed to click.

Neji's eyes searched Hinata's face for any hint of remorse or anything that would show him that he was not at fault for thinking the way he was.

There was none.

Instead there seemed to be a dull and trampled pride, though it still stood strong and undefeated. Her eyes held a determination but at the same time a silent apology for all the things that had transpired between them.

Neji stared at the two for another minute before striding to the door and stepping out. Before he closed the door though, he threw over his shoulder, sounding utterly defeated,

"Was I not trustworthy in the least…?"

Hinata sunk to the floor sobbing, a crying Ryouichi by her side.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata woke up from her position on the ground the next morning and went into absolute freak out mode, ruffling Ryouichi from his position in her lap as well. They would definitely be late to school today.

After Neji had made his appearance, Hinata and Ryouichi had not moved an inch from where he had left them. The dinner from last night lay untouched on the table, long cold, and the door had gone unlocked all night.

She had fixed up Ryouichi and had just deemed her puffy eyes a lost cause when she heard pounding at the door.

_I don't want to open the door anymore…I've realized that pounding amounts to nothing good…_

Even as she decided to ignore it and continue her morning routine, the pounding continued relentlessly and Hinata started to wonder how they would get out of the apartment to go to school if she holed them up in there to stay away from the people outside.

"O-Okaa-san….The door…"Ryouichi pointed it out and Hinata stomped her foot in a rare show of frustration.

"Fine…"She muttered and ran to the door and wrenched it open. "W-what do you want?!"

Five men in clad in all black wearing white masks with intricate markings resembling animals stared her right in the face.

"A-ano…" Hinata moved to shut the door. _Why do I always get the crazy people knocking at my door…?_ One of the men broke out to the formation and jammed his foot in the doorway, stopping her from closing the door all the way.

The one with a beaked mask resembling a crow spoke. "Hyuuga-sama, you and your son have been summoned. We are to take you in, even if by force."

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke had to admit, he was having a terrible morning.

He woke up with a serious headache which was surprising; he hadn't gone out drinking last night.

Kakashi's words had been eating away at him all night and he had no idea why. He teacher had said cryptic words to the class before, so why was it that his final words seemed to hold a hint…

Or a warning.

Sure the words themselves meant something was going to come, a literal warning. But it was the words behind the words, the meaning behind the meaning that pestered Sasuke; the endless possibilities were hard for a fact driven person like Sasuke to handle. He wanted to know what the true meaning was.

_Why did those words…"You're in for a big change…can't say you're ready for it though. I hope so…" why am I reacting to those words? _ Sasuke shook his head as he walked up the stairs to get into school. _I have a foreboding feeling…_

As he walked down the hall, he was surprised to find that not a single soul was inside. Where there were usually early bird students frolicking around or sitting around reading, there was plain silence and not much else. _Although I'm glad for the peace…where is-_

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke spun around quickly and was met by a group of five males, dressed in all black. White masks resembling a crow, horse, cat, mouse and dog peered sightlessly back at him.

"What the hell…?"

"We have explicit orders to take you in. You can come peacefully, or you can fight. Whatever you decide to choose, we will take you in regardless." Sasuke stared at the five suited men for one moment before dashing in the other direction. _Not if you can't catch me first…_

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata was standing the reception room nervously, a calm but spooked Ryouichi in her arms. "Okaa-san…what is this? Why did they take us?" Hinata looked to her son sadly; so many things were happening to the little boy, he didn't have any time to recuperate from one event before another sprung itself upon them.

Hinata shushed her child gently. "It's okay Ryouichi, don't worry, I'm here right? Everything will be fine…" If only she could believe her own words.

They had been blindfolded when they'd been captured, so they had no idea where they had arrived to, the blank waiting room was the only thing they'd been exposed to. Cherry wood French doors on the opposite side of the room were the only decorations in the room; everything else was white and dull.

The French doors opened and two of the men from before beckoned Hinata and Ryouichi to the other side. Hinata, nervous, hesitantly made her way over and once on the other side, gasped at what she saw.

It was Tsunade-sama's Office!

"Sorry for the…circumstances Hinata-chan. It was the only option I had available at the time." Tsunade called from her chair, which swiveled around to show the bearer of the voice. Tsunade's eyes lighted upon Ryouichi and a genuine smile appeared on her face. "Ah, Uchiha Ryouichi right? It's a pleasure to meet you." Hinata placed Ryouichi on the ground and nudged him forward.

"I am Uchiha Ryouichi, it's a pleasure to meet you as well…"

"Tsunade."

"…Tsunade-sama." Ryouichi bowed respectfully and Tsunade chuckled.

"You're truly an amazing child! No wonder you're skipping four grades!" Both Hinata and Ryouichi's eyes widened as she stated that.

"A-ano…how do you k-know about that Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Well, I'm the Hokage, so naturally I'd know." Hinata couldn't stop the gasp that left her body.

"T-the H-Hokage?!" She moved to stand beside her son and bowed respectfully as well. She looked up a little from her position. "A-ano…then why are y-you the principal…?"

Tsunade frowned.

"Because this was not originally my job. I was the manager of the Hospitals in Konoha…but a series of…unfortunate events have made me become the Head Principal of Konoha High School _and _the Hokage of Konoha." Tsunade then muttered under her breath, "A series of _very _unfortunate events…"

"Why are we here?" Ryouichi asked suddenly. Hinata turned to him.

"Ryouichi where are your manners?" Hinata whispered, appalled.

He rolled his eyes. "Tsunade-sama, if you don't mind me asking, why are we here?" Tsunade started to chuckle once again.

"You act just like your father, did you know that?" Ryouichi's eyes widened in shock.

"M-my…father…?" Hinata stared in shock at Tsunade.

"T-Tsunade-sama…please d-don't talk about t-tha-"

Tsunade ignored Hinata and moved towards the little boy who was standing stock still. "Yes, very much like your father. You also look almost exactly like him, do you know what his name is?"

"Well…His last name is Uchiha…like mine…" His eyes seemed glued on Tsunade. Hinata started to beg.

"Tsunade-sama…p-please…!" All of her work would go to nothing; all of her effort into making his life as easy as possible without a father…it was being ripped apart by a few simple words.

Tsunade kneeled in front of Ryouichi, her eyes never breaking from his. "Hinata-chan, please trust me on this." She smiled gently at Ryouichi. "You're right about his last name being Uchiha…but do you know his first name?"

"No…Okaa-san has never told me…"

The doors opened once again, brining the occupants out of their reverie.

"Tsunade-sama." Kakashi and Kurenai walked in, looking surprisingly tense for their personalities.

"Ah, so it's begun has it?" The two nodded. Kurenai's eyes caught Hinata's and Hinata could have sworn she felt something along the lines of pity and an apology pass through her blood red orbs. Kakashi answered.

"They have detained him; he's in the waiting room." Tsunade heaved a long sigh and stood up to her full height. She took a step towards the cherry wood doors and asked of the little boy before her,

"What do you want most in this world Ryouichi?"

His reply was instantaneous, and one that broke his mother's heart.

"To know my father."

Tsunade smiled and nodded, "To know your father…" she turned to the masked men guarding the door and commanded, "Open the doors and let him inside."

"Understood Tsunade-sama." They chorused and moved to open the door.

"You said you wanted to meet your father…well our guest of honor has finally arrived." Tsunade gestured to the doors, where the shadow of a figure had finally shown itself.

"Ryouichi, meet your father…

"Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

_Well that is sure a way to end…lol. Sorry that parts of it were rushed, especially the Neji part I think…I was just excited to get to the meeting…lol. Next chapter will be the meeting and Hinata's flashback as to the reason for little Ryouichi's being. That should be interesting shouldn't it? Again, thank you for all the sweet reviews, I adore you all :) You'll have to be patient with me because I'm swimming through uncharted territory; I haven't planned anything past last chapter, lol. This is truly improvising at its culmination. I know what I want, and where the story is going, I just don't know…how to get there. Lol. I've finally set the story plot officially, and I must say I'm proud of myself…however I'm setting myself up for more work…this might be more than 30 chapters…depending on how thoroughly I write it and the length of the chapters…and the plot will follow the Naruto story as best as I can make it, while being in the real world. Get ready to see a whole bunch of different characters! I try to do that with all my stories, if you read my other story 'Broken, and Picking up the Pieces', you'd see that evident. This story is finally progressing!!!_

_Also, no one found out the clue that I've been hinting at all this time! I'm so sad!!! Try harder, look back and please find it! Or I'll stop writing ;) (If you just believed me, you're a dork :P) You know, if you asked me in a review, I'd tell you what it is. And then you could guess the rest of the plot and I would tell you if you were right :) But I'd rather you find it first and ask if you're right…I don't want to just hand the answer over to you, you know? But I will if you ask…kindly ;) If you have any questions, because there are sure to be a few, don't hesitate to ask me, I answer pretty fast. Please review if you enjoyed the story so far, have any ideas, or want to correct any grammar mistakes (because I didn't edit this time, I was too excited and wanted to post it…lol.) So please review! Until next time,_

_Trinity Effect_


	7. Chapter Seven: Confrontations

_I'm so sorry this is late…as I warned earlier…school starting will especially hinder my ability to update. I'm a senior this year, and I'm very involved in my school, when it comes to student council, NHS, Dance Team, Prom Committee, Math club, Physics club, etc. But to prove that I have a real reason for not updating, I'll tell you my schedule for my senior year!_

_In this order, these are my classes, Dance Team, AP Psychology, AP English IV, AP Calculus BC (the harder one that covers two semesters of college level calculus), AP Physics C (the harder one based on Calculus), AP Biology, and off period. So you see, on top of my usual out of school dance and piano, I have dance in school, club meetings, and three AP science courses, a math course, and English. Remember I said I was taking college classes over the summer? Those were Government and Economics so I could get them out of the way before school started. Lol. And AP for those of you who don't know, is Advanced Placement, it's a class for overachievers like me who can get college credit for it…so I'm stressing from that and applying to colleges…I'm applying to Princeton and those schools, so wish me luck…lol. I don't think I'll make it, but whatever. I've been feeling so guilty for not updating, I will try my best, I swear._

_I have posted a poll asking what days you'd like to get updates, so please go vote so I know when to update! Also, I want to thank everyone who reviewed…and those who didn't…I've never had so many visitors in one week lol. Please review though so I know who you are and if you like it! I had over a thousand visitors….amazing! You guys are awesome. And for those of you who continually give me support, I thank you dearly. Please do review though, it's the only thing that keeps me motivated in my busy life, and if you don't…I start to lose my writing mojo for a while. So please do and keep my spirit alive!_

_As an apology, I've written a really long chapter, so please enjoy :). And I have chapter eight and nine outlined, just have to write them.  
_

_**WARNING, If you are too young to view adult material, please do not view the last like quarter of the chapter, thank you :). Why are you reading this story in that case...? I won't tell I promise....**_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

_**

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**Chapter Seven: Confrontations on different Levels**

"Ryouichi, meet your father…

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Everyone in the room looked to the figure just stepping his way through the door, rubbing the back of his head in annoyance. "What the hell is going on?!" The boy's eyes lighted upon the other people in the room, zeroing in on Tsunade. "What the hell are you trying to achieve by kidnapping me and taking me in like this? I could have walked on my own…" He pulled at the bindings on his arms and around his neck, throwing them aside.

"Oyaji …." Ryouichi murmured in awe as the older version of him rose to his full height and start talking. The resemblance was uncanny, even the child could instantly tell this _was, _physically and truly, his _father._

Sasuke halted as he heard those words and turned to the little boy in front of him.

"Why the hell is there a little kid here …?" His eyes widened as he realized why the kid looked so familiar. He had seen the same features in the mirror just this morning. Pitch black hair and eyes, regal nose, high cheek bones. No one but him had those features anymore…well him and his estranged brother. "Okay, what kind of sick joke is this, really?" _Is there a long lost brother we knew nothing about…? It can't be…he's too young._

"This isn't a joke Sasuke." Tsunade stated seriously. "You're intuitive, I'm sure you know exactly what this means." Sasuke's eyes darted to her and narrowed in distaste.

"And I'm supposed to trust you? You brought me here tied up like a freaking convict!" He then turned to study the little boy for a moment before stating out of the blue, "I don't know what the hell this is."

Hinata knew, she just knew, that this would all go down in burning flames. Ryouichi would see what kind of man his father truly was, and then he would be absolutely crushed. He would never trust men again. As a mother she couldn't let this happen….that's why she'd taken care of all of this on her own, but of course others would involve themselves and force change on her son. They didn't raise him; they didn't know how his mind worked!

Of course, another part of her was hurt that Ryouichi wanted to see his father so badly that it was the first thing he stated to Tsunade. It wasn't that she thought he would say anything about her; it was just that…she thought she had been involved in his life enough to cover the absence of his father. He had never complained before… _Of course, maybe there isn't really a substitute for a paternal love…obviously I wasn't doing a good enough job…_

"Let's please sit down first, and we will explain everything. Kurenai, Kakashi, you're work is done, you may leave." Kurenai and Kakashi bowed and excused themselves.

It was only as they were sitting down that Sasuke realized who exactly 'everyone' entailed.

"Hyuuga?" He murmured to himself because Hinata was finding her shoes particularly interesting at the moment. Sasuke turned to Tsunade and demanded, "Why the hell is she here?"

Tsunade sighed as she sat behind her desk, her hands coming up to knead her temples. She watched the three in front of her for a moment. Ryouichi was sitting quietly in between his parents, his eyes still glued to his father. Hinata was sitting to the left of Ryouichi, head down, her hands literally wringing her skirt into shreds. Sasuke was adamantly angry, his hands balled into fists on the arm rests, as he leaned forward in indignation.

How very ironic that they already looked like a family.

But of course, looks were always deceiving. _Am I making the right decision by doing this…?_

"Sasuke, tell me. What does this look like to you?"

"I. Don't. Know." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Why don't you tell me?"

Tsunade brushed off his request. "Sasuke do you know who this boy is?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did." Sasuke scoffed. Hinata's hand moved to grasp her son's. The movement was caught by Sasuke's peripheral vision.

"This boy is the third surviving member of the Uchiha name, his name is Uchiha Ryouichi." The boy turned to look at Tsunade as she stated his name. His eyes moved back to the man beside him, who turned to look at him as well, gauging his worth.

"Isn't he a little too young to be my brother? The…last Uchihas'….were almost ten years ago. This guy looks no more than five. I don't think _he'd _reproduce either…" He gave the 'guy' a look of disdain. The boy seemed oblivious to it, even with all the staring he was doing. Tsunade smiled grimly.

"You're right. He is your immediate family….but not as your brother or nephew." Tsunade gave him a pointed look, expecting him to come to the truth by his own workings. He just gave her a 'why're you constipated' look. She wanted to scream in frustration. Why couldn't he get the hint and figure out this was his child on his own? She didn't want to hand over the answer on a plate; part of accepting something, was admitting it first.

Hinata wanted to scream too. _Why does she have to get to the point so underhandedly? Can't she just stop the suspense? I want this over with; I already know it'll end badly. _So Hinata took drastic measures.

"Sasuke think hard, or are you stupid?" She deadpanned, not looking up from her position but the tension still apparent in her voice. The other three in the room looked to her in surprise.

Sasuke bristled instantly. No one ridiculed his intelligence. "Who the hell are you to say that to me anyways?! You have no right to be here as well, this is an Uchiha matter so why don't you just leave and butt _the hell out_?" He glared at Hinata and crossed his arms and sagged into his chair. "You piss me off so much…"he mumbled under his breath.

Hinata's head shot up and she pinned Sasuke's figure with a glare. It wasn't effective however because he refused to look at her any longer.

Tsunade thought to interfere before the two's argument got out of hand, but she was beaten to the task by Ryouichi.

"The reason why we're here…You're my Otou-san…"Ryouichi continued to stare at his father. He was trying to memorize every part of him; finally after asking for him for so long…he was here. So they did come to Konoha for a good reason.

Sasuke did a double take and stared down at the boy. _His…father…?_

The others in the room were expecting…for lack of a better word…an _interesting_ revelation on the older Uchiha's part.

But they didn't expect him to burst out laughing.

"Father?!" He snorted in indignation. "There is no way in hell that I'm your father. I don't even know you, so how do expect to come in here and parade around saying that I have a _child_? I'm only eighteen; there is no way in hell that this could happen!" He glared at Tsunade and the little boy, the two who were trying to actually persuade him of this news.

Tsunade sighed and leaned forward, pinning Sasuke with a serious stare, one that was hard for him to break. "Sasuke, how are children made?"

He answered unabashed, "When a guy and girl have sex." Hinata huffed and glared at him for saying such words in front of a child. He turned slightly towards her and rolled his eyes.

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him in turn. "And what do you do? And don't lie because I know you have been and still are sexually active." Sasuke bit his lip in frustration. He couldn't say anything to deny her.

When she was certain that Sasuke would not say anything more, Tsunade leaned back into her chair and laid her elbows on the arm rest, her fingers intertwining. "So what's to say that you _don't _have a child?"

His answer was instantaneous.

"Because I would know about it."

Hers was as well.

"Unless the mother decided not to tell you."

He couldn't deny her words but continued to be disbelieving,

"I'm not that stupid, I've used protection every time." He glared at Tsunade as if he could hypnotize her into believing the 'truth'; that this wasn't his child.

"They're not full proof Sasuke. You know that the only way to prevent things like this from happening is to abstain." Sasuke scoffed.

"This is a whole bunch of bull! If this is true why haven't I heard anything about this?!" He turned to the side in disbelief and his eyes landed on Hinata once again.

His eyes widened with recognition.

To make a child…

You need two people.

And obviously the boy had to have come from somewhere…

Everything clicked.

Why she was there, why she was holding the boy's hand, why she was reading that book the day before, why she seemed to shy away from him, deny him (him!), why she didn't go to the party, brushed her friends off, everything seemed to fit.

_No way…there is no way in hell…._

He would deny it until the very end. There was no proof. There wasn't even proof that this child was his! How did they expect him to agree to any of this? If it was his child, he should have known about it or something! And even if he didn't, these things don't happen to Uchiha Sasuke! He never made mistakes, and this was definitely a huge one. No. This wasn't his child. And Hinata was _not _what she seemed to be in this position.

She was shy, reclusive when it came to boys, conservative. None of those qualities fit the girls he'd ever been with. Not only that but…he would have known if he'd been with her for one night. He was _positive _he would remember her, even if he never remembered the others.

Sasuke turned back to Tsunade, anger and disbelief still coloring his tone. "Why is she here?! You still haven't told me and I don't see how she has anything to do with this."

"Hinata…" Tsunade's eyes darted to Hinata who was staring straight ahead, a blank expression on her face. She gave Tsunade a curt nod. Might as well give the finishing blow.

"Hinata is the mother of Ryouichi….your son."

Sasuke honestly didn't know what expression to pull. Who would in this situation?

"I don't believe any of this shit…" Sasuke abruptly stood up and moved to leave. "And if you guys are done trying to dupe me into child support or some other crap, I'm leaving." Just as he was about to move, his foot stilled.

"Sasuke! You think we're all lying…" He turned to look at her and she looked up, tears welling up, "But why can't you just believe Tsunade-sama? You see the truth before your very eyes! He looks exactly like you!"

"Oh so now you want to act like you have some involvement with this situation, huh?"

"The only reason why I'm 'acting like I have some involvement' is because this has to do with my _son_. He finally meets his father…I don't want it to end badly for him. Admit your mistake; I wasn't the only one involved in this! Don't make him suffer please!" she looked down at Ryouichi, who had not spoken after telling Sasuke he was his father. He was staring at his hands in concentration, as if trying to realize something he was forgetting.

"You have no proof that I'm this supposed 'father'. And if you have no proof, it's like he doesn't exist to me." Sasuke sneered. "You can't just pin it on me. I refuse." Ryouichi looked up at those words, something akin to hurt on his small face.

"Sasuke please sit." He didn't sit, but he didn't leave either.

"I have proof…"Hinata murmured to herself. "Other than the physical proof before you…"

OoOoOoOoO

_Hinata ran down the stairs in a rush, running a bit behind schedule._

_She skid to a halt in the doorway of the dining room and ran her hands through her pixie cut hair and fixed her baggy clothes, taking a deep breath before walking into the room where her father sat, a laptop set up in front of him. _

_Even when she sat at his left side, she had to clear her throat to get his attention._

_"Otou-sama?" She called tentatively to him. His answer was a sigh of frustration._

_"What is it?" He tapped at the keys a little harder than necessary, which did not go by Hinata._

_"O-Otou-sama…T-tonight is t-the night o-of the sleepover I told y-you about last week." Hinata nodded to the servant as her breakfast was set in front of her. Cinnamon rolls, her usual._

_Hiashi didn't answer for another five minutes as he continued to type at the computer. Finally he looked up, taking off his glasses and massaging the bridge of his nose._

_"You expect me to allow you to go to a sleepover?" He glared at Hinata and she meekly nodded, looking down at her plate. "No."_

_Hinata looked up. "E-eh?" She picked at her food hesitantly. "B-but…why? You a-agreed earlier…."_

_"A Hyuuga should not be going to sleepovers. If you have time for those things, you should be reading, or studying." Hiashi glared at her. "Regardless of your impeccable grades, one slight drop is enough to put you down at the bottom in Hyuuga terms. You don't want a repeat of last time's events do you?" Hinata visibly shuddered and shook her head._

_Last time her grades came in, she had gotten a 98 in English._

_She was not allowed to eat for three days._

It's a lot better than in elementary school…then I'd get C's and it was more than just three days… _Hinata thought to herself as she continued to stare at the meal in front of her._

_"Otou-sama, m-may I use the phone to c-call Sakura and tell her I c-cannot m-make it?" She raised her head and turned to him, she was slightly disappointed and it showed on her face. He nodded his consent and handed her the phone that sat beside his laptop without looking up from his computer._

_While Hinata waited for the other line to pick up, she watched her father continue to work._

_He never really showed any other expressions other than anger or stoicism. When she had asked him the week before, he had just shrugged and nodded, giving her his permission. But of course, his decisions changed almost as quickly as he decided them; he was famous for it, it was his remarkable change of heart that kept the Hyuuga Corporation a driving success. _

_Someone on the other line answered._

_"A-ano…hello?" Hinata tentatively called into the receiver._

_She smiled as she realized who was on the other end. "Ah, Haruno-san, it's nice to talk to you again." Her usual stuttering went out the window as she talked to a person she genuinely liked; Sakura's mother. "You have exciting news?"_

_She listened as Sakura's mother rambled on and then gasped and laughed. "Wow that's wonderful! So the company merging has finally been finished? Wow…that will make your company worth almost four billion!" Hiashi jerked up as he heard his elder daughter talk animatedly with the co-CEO of Haruno Oiling Industries. She had such ties and he didn't even know about it?! He stared at his daughter in awe. _Such important business ties at only twelve years of age…amazing. Maybe she would be fit as Heir…

_His thoughts of future endeavors with Haruno Oiling Industries crashed as he heard her next words._

_"Ah, Haruno-san, the r-reason I'm calling is because I talked to my father," She gave him an apprehensive look. "And he has decided to not allow me to go to Sakura-chan's sleepover."_

She was going to go to Haruno Sakura's party?! _Hiashi was suddenly a flurry of animation, motioning to Hinata suddenly. "E-eh?" She murmured, confused by her father's motions. Seeing that it was ineffective, he whispered loudly. _

_"You. May. Go!" He sighed when Hinata's eyes lit up in recognition and she nodded._

_"Haruno-san! Change of plans, I can go!" She giggled into the phone, and Hiashi heard the tinkling laughter of a woman on the other line. "Yes, I'm excited as well; I can't wait to see you too."_

Haruno Oiling Industries…they are the third highest grossing company in Konoha. With their company merging, they'll probably become second or even first. _Hiashi smirked. _Too bad Hyuuga Corporation still holds that spot. We are merging as well, they will not be beat us….but through Hinata we could become allies…._Hiashi grew excited at the prospect._

_"A-ano, Otou-sama….?"_

_"Hai?" __He couldn't help the cold smile on his face. Hinata shrunk under his gaze._

_"A-am I allowed t-to go?"_

_Hiashi looked at his first daughter. She was quiet, nervous in crowds, shy in nature; all the things an heir shouldn't be, especially for the first most grossing company in all of the Five Great Nations. But she had one talent that was starting to prove most useful. _

_She had the ability to connect to people._

_"You are required to go." Hiashi demanded, and he could have sworn he saw a ghost of a smile on his daughter's face. She most probably had seen right through him. He looked down at his watch and tsked. "It's time for you to go to school; Hanabi and Neji have already left. Do not be tardy again."_

_"Hai Otou-sama." Hinata bowed and rushed to the limo in the front. _

_OoOoOoOoO_

_"I'm so excited about the sleepover!" Sakura gushed as Hinata sat quietly beside her at their lunch table. "I invited all the girls, I just hope they go…"_

_"Y-yeah….I think i-it will be lots of f-fun." Hinata smiled and Sakura grinned back._

_"Yeah so I was thinking…"_

_As Sakura rambled on, Hinata sighed to herself. It was always like this. Sakura didn't mean to, she was sure, but in their friendship Sakura was the one who was 'most important', the one who talked while Hinata listened. It wasn't her fault, Hinata knew. She was just brought up the center of attention as an only child, and everyone naturally tried to suck up to her, being the sole heir to the Haruno Oiling Industries….it was only natural that she act this way._

_Hinata had been stepped on all her life, no one gave her respect, only talked about her at corporate parties, about how she was the oddball of the family and how she was not assertive enough to become the head of the Hyuuga Corporations. She had to share the spot light with her cousin and sister, both of who got a smidgen more than she did. Again, it was only natural._

_Hinata was especially amazed because they'd only been friends for little over a month yet she'd never in her life felt so cared for. Sakura had the ability to make anyone feel special, only if she looked upon you with good graces. Every since it had been announced that Hinata would indeed be heir to the Hyuuga Estates and company, Sakura had insisted they become friends. Of course influential people were only friends with influential people. It also could have been because Sakura and Ino had their little fall out over Sasuke…a scene viewed by most of the school populous. _

_But somehow Hinata found the company in her normally dull life…nice._

_"Sakura-chan!!!!" Everyone in the lunch room knew exactly who it was screaming at the top of his lungs._

_"Uzumaki Naruto you better shut up before I hurt you!!" Sakura screamed back at him as he ran up to their table. Sakura instantly blushed and looked down as she realized who walked behind him, although at a slower pace. "S-Sasuke-kun…"_

_Hinata's eyes landed on Naruto first thing and she instantly withdrew into her baggy clothes, wishing she could disappear. _He always looks at Sakura-chan…I don't mind looking from afar…but it would be nice to have their confidence…

_"What are you doing here?" Sakura voiced, but her question was aimed at Sasuke._

_"Well Ino's having a party at her house! She told us to ask you if you would like to come, everyone else already RSVP-ed. So how about it?" He gave Sakura pleading looks. Sakura rolled her eyes at him._

_"Ano...is Sasuke going…?" Sakura asked tentatively, her eyes roving over said boy as Naruto answered instantly._

_"We both are!" Sakura pried her eyes off of Sasuke and smiled sweetly at Naruto._

_"Okay then we'll be there, right Hinata-chan?" Sakura turned and looked at her; Hinata knew that the smile she gave her was fake. She was pissed. At a certain platinum blonde._

_"A-ano…s-sure…" Hinata mumbled, blushing heavily. _Naruto-kun invited us…

_"Awesome! I'm so glad you guys are going, I really am!" Naruto made eye contact with Hinata and she tried to smile back, but she was pretty sure she grimaced instead. "We'll see you tonight at seven, don't be late!" _He's glad that we're going…! _Hinata couldn't help but think to herself as the two boys walked off._

_Hinata watched Sakura sit down stiffly and turn to look at Ino who was seated a few tables down. Ino smirked in reply to Sakura's glare and tossed her hair as she looked away and went back to talking to her two best friends, Chouji and Shikamaru._

_"Argh, she's only having that party because I'm having my sleepover tonight!" Sakura gritted her teeth in aggravation, squeezing her sandwich in her grip. Hinata wrestled the innocent food out of her best friend's hand. _

_"Sakura-chan…its o-okay…after the p-party people c-can still go to your h-house for the sleep over…t-think of it this way, it's like f-free entertainment, and you don't have to w-waste time or any e-effort on i-it!" Sakura seemed to cheer up at that._

_"You're right!" She hugged Hinata tightly, who ended up blushing from the contact. "And you'll of course come to my house to get ready right?"_

_A small, timid smile._

_"Hai."_

_OoOoOoOoO_

_"Man you really don't have boobs at all do you…?" Sakura complained as she tried to fix the dress Hinata was presently wearing. It was a halter dress in a dark plum color that was made for a girl with breasts…or at least a little more than Hinata's flat rack._

_"A-ano…maybe I should just go in…a skirt?" Hinata offered, but was instantly refuted._

_"No. You're wearing a dress. When have you ever dressed up?" Hinata opened her mouth to reply but was cut off. "Never, so don't lie."_

_Hinata sighed and nodded mutely. "Here go put this one on." Sakura threw a bubble gum pink number at the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata did as she was told and moved to the closet to change._

_While Hinata changed, Sakura did her own make up, already having chosen a forest green spaghetti strapped dress with beaded accents and black lace borders. "I have to admit that I'm kinda excited…" Sakura smiled at herself in the mirror. "Sasuke-kun will be there and maybe I can corner him and tell him how I really feel. Why don't you do the same with Naruto? You told me you like him…and when are you going to get another chance?" Sakura blew a kiss in the mirror as she finished applying lip gloss and turned around as Hinata entered the room once again, helplessly trying to hold up the strapless pink dress._

_"A-ano…I don't t-think I'm going t-to talk to N-Naruto…." Hinata murmured, looking to the ground in embarrassment. Sakura rolled her eyes and grinned._

_"Don't worry about that for now, let's find a dress that fits you."_

_Fifteen dresses later and one was finally chosen._

_"Perfect!" Sakura smiled and moved Hinata in front of the full length mirror, a proud look on her face. Hinata couldn't help but gasp._

_Blood red silk draped around her, tied with a big bow in the back. The cut was simple and almost childish, with a slight 'Alice in Wonderland' feel, but it seemed to fit Hinata's innocent personality perfectly. "T-thank you Sakura-chan! It's g-gorgeous…" Sakura brushed off her thanks._

_"Anything for a friend!" She sat Hinata down in front of the vanity and started on her make up. "Here's where our work is really cut out for us…when was the last time you exfoliated?!"_

_While Sakura helped Hinata doll up, they continued to talk about Sasuke…and Naruto._

_"S-Sakura-chan? W-why don't y-you like N-Naruto-kun? He seems t-to love y-you a lot…" Hinata mumbled because Sakura was working on her lips._

_Sakura scoffed. "I could never like him! He's annoying, and he never stops following me around, he always attracts attention, and I've known him since we were really little…I could never see him that way." Sakura made eye contact with Hinata in the mirror and winked. "And anyways, a certain someone has a crush on him and he's pretty much taken now."_

_"E-eh?! That's n-not t-true!" Hinata flamed instantly._

_"Hinata-chan, you should really tell him how you feel tonight." Sakura put down the beautifying instruments and leaned against the vanity, looking at Hinata seriously. "If you're too late….you might find that he's no longer available…" She suddenly perked up and placed her hands on Hinata's shoulders. "Hey Hinata-chan?"_

_"H-hai…?"_

_"Why don't we make a promise?"_

_"W-what kind of p-promise…?" Hinata didn't like where this was going._

_"We'll both tell the guys we like our true feelings. Since it's a full moon tonight, we'll have luck on our side, right? And if it's both of us, I think we'll have a better chance! The more times you try the higher the success rate right? It's sure to apply somehow here!" Hinata mulled over Sakura's words for a few moments._

Although her reasoning is a cause for worry…at least if we both put ourselves out there…we won't be alone. I should do it. I'll never get the confidence to do so…_She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. _And this is the only time I've ever looked decent…I shouldn't think about it and just dive head first!

_"Okay Sakura-chan. We'll do it."_

_Sakura grinned widely. "That's what I like to hear! Now let's do something with this mess of a tumble weed. Hasn't anyone told you that you should grow it out? What are we going to do with this stuff?!"_

No…No one's cared enough to say so.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_As soon as they arrived at the party, Hinata wanted to leave._

_What kind of party was this?!_

_There were kids way older than her walking around, dancing, _drinking _and overall doing pretty horrid things in her sheltered eyes. She stood out like a sore thumb, and it didn't help that Sakura had left her to talk to some friends really fast, promising to be back with some food and drinks in a bit._

_When she realized Sakura would be taking way longer than she had stated, Hinata poured herself some punch and grabbed a bit to eat. _At least they have punch…

_She took a sip and looked down at the innocent red drink. _Funny tasting punch…_She thought to herself as she made her way around the house._

_Hinata had taken to sitting on one of the couches curled up into the arm rest trying to look invisible which was impossible because of her loud dress. She kept getting strange looks but tried to put it past her as she looked out for the blonde most prevalent in her thoughts._

_She was going to do it._

_Naruto had said he was excited that they were going to the party right? It had to mean something! _I'll take the confidence Sakura-chan has put in me and use it for something that she would be proud of. _Ironically enough, as soon as she thought those words, Naruto appeared in her line of vision. _I'll try to be as outgoing as Sakura!

_Hinata stood abruptly, to the annoyance of the other, ruffled couch potatoes, and made a beeline straight for Naruto. Every step seemed like it took years and Hinata's heart was pounding so hard she thought she would die from too _much _blood flow. Could she really do this? It seemed so sudden…this wasn't what she did. She usually weighted out the options….made sure it was the right moment._

And where has that gotten you so far?

_Sakura was right in saying that she should act before it was too late. Naruto might find someone else…or Sakura might even decide that he was worthy enough to be her boyfriend; and that was the worst possible scenario. She was thankful for having Sakura, so glad they were friends…but her worst fear…and biggest rival _was_ her self proclaimed best friend._ I would never be able to confront her if they ended up together…I have to do this. Or I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

_"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata called as she reached the blonde boy's side. He turned towards her and gave her his usual cheery smile._

_"Ah! Uh…what was your name again?" Hinata inwardly sighed, but nothing could get her down tonight._

_"I'm H-Hinata." She smiled at him nervously and her hands fluttered over her dress as they stood awkwardly for a few moments._

_"Oh yeah! The weird quiet girl who hangs out with Sakura-chan!" His eyes widened as he realized what he'd said out loud. "A-ano…I didn't mean weird…" Hinata blushed madly and her eyes lowered slightly but she shook her head at his apology._

_"I-It's okay. I g-get that a-a lot…" Trying to change the subject and wondering where she got all this confidence from, Hinata smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear as she looked around the two of them. "So a-are you having f-fun…?"_

_"Hell yeah! Who knew Ino knew so many older people? I think this is better than our usual boring game nights!" He looked down at his drink and then looked up at Hinata with a cute confused look on his face. "And the punch tastes funny…but in a good sort of way…if you know what I mean." Hinata giggled unnaturally and nodded._

_"I k-know what you mean…" He smiled back at her._

_"Did you know you have a really cute laugh?" Hinata's eyes widened and her hand moved to her lips in surprise._

_"I d-do…?"_

_He nodded exuberantly._

_"Yeah it's really…different you know? Most of the other girls have really loud laughs…not that they're bad, but it's nice to hear something so sweet…like bells…" He had a dazed look on his face as he drank some more punch._

_"T-thank you…I t-think your s-smile is nice…" Hinata wrung her hands and looked up at him through her eyelashes, nervous. He perked up at that._

_"Well, thank you! I've never been complimented before…it feels nice." Hinata couldn't help looking to the side in shock, not wanting him to see her expression. _No one has ever complimented him?!

_As her eyes moved back to Naruto, Hinata caught something very peculiar._

_Black, coal eyes watched her from across the room._

_Hinata didn't know what to do so she just tried to ignore them and keep her focus on Naruto._

_Hinata and Naruto talked for a while even danced once (to the embarrassment of Hinata) and had finally sat for a bit, enjoying each others company. Hinata thought this was the perfect moment to state her feelings. She'd been thinking about it the whole time, but kept chickening out or thinking it wasn't the right moment. She really wanted to tell him…she wouldn't get a better chance than this all night._

_"Ano…N-Naruto-kun could I t-tell you something….p-personal?" She broached the topic gently and got an encouraging nod from Naruto to her delight._

_"Sure, go ahead, I'll listen to what you have to say!" He giggled like a school girl and Hinata looked at him nervously. He'd been like this all night…acting goofier than usual…and complaining that the room was spinning and turning different colors…_

_Now that she thought about it, she felt like that too...maybe it was the importance of what she was about to do that made her feel like this…_

Just say it…quickly.

_"N-Naruto-kun…I l-love you!" She gushed all of the sudden, her hands moving to cup her burning cheeks as soon as she said it._

_He stared dumbfounded at her for a good two minutes, and Hinata started to fidget under his gaze. "A-ano I've l-liked you f-for a long time…Y-you're really n-nice…and you are so c-confident…and…and I j-just want to t-tell you…" Her voice dropped off as he continued to stare at her. "N-Naruto-kun…?"_

_He shook his head suddenly and looked up at her, his face sullen. Hinata knew that she had just gotten the short end of the stick._

_"I'm sorry Hinata-chan…but I love Sakura-chan and I can't love anyone else…and anyways I don't really think we're compatible…you know? You're all proper…and nice…and I'm not." He gave her an apologetic look and shrugged hesitantly. Hinata felt her heart break. "I'm r-really sorry…" He noticed tears pooling in her eyes and he instantly tried to stop them._

_"Please don't cry! You'll make me feel bad! I really do like people like you!" Hinata shook her head jerkily and ran from him, not caring to listen anymore._

I shouldn't have done it! What was I thinking?! Sakura-chan is that type of person…I'm not. I never have luck in life, I always come up short. Why did I expect results here? Oh god…it really hurts though…I feel like my chest is about to rip open…and yet…for some reason I cannot cry.

_Hinata found herself in one of the many bedrooms, kneeling beside the bed with her face buried in the covers as she tried to become invisible, even to herself. She had been so involved in her inner turmoil that she didn't notice as someone entered the room behind her and closed the door; locking it._

_"Wow, that was freaking hilarious, way to get rejected by the Baka; it takes true talent to do that." Hinata jumped at the calculating voice and whipped her head around to something she never thought would happen. Uchiha Sasuke….talking directly to her._

_"S-Sasuke-kun…?" She tentatively called out, shocked at his harsh words._

_Uchiha Sasuke, the idol of the school was an enigma to someone such as Hyuuga Hinata. She was able to read anyone and their actions and emotions (which she thought, should have helped her in Naruto's case…she should have known he wouldn't like her) but Sasuke was the only one who never fit in any of those characteristics and he was the only person she found unreadable. He was handsome, but hated all girls. Never talked to anyone he deemed annoying but his best friend was his self-proclaimed enemy; Naruto, the most rambunctious of all the students. He never made any sense and for that reason, Hinata never tried to talk to him nor wanted to. So why was he talking to her now?_

_The boy walked towards her and stopped two feet away, looking down at her as if she was insignificant. "I was watching the whole time…why do you like such a stupid person such as Naruto? Is it because you're just as, maybe even more stupid than him?" Hinata flinched under his gaze._

_"W-what are you s-saying? Why are y-you saying t-these things?"_

_He disregarded her and continued, pacing in an arc around her, making her feel as if she were an animal on display at the zoo. Sasuke would be the bullying kid throwing peanuts and rocks at her. "I wasn't the only one who saw that, I'm pretty sure everyone there saw your little show, I think I even heard laughter from a few of them." He smirked and glared at her. She blushed and looked at the ground._

_"You know what you are?" He looked pointedly at her and when she didn't reply he answered. "You're a failure to all females…" He smirked once again and pretended to be occupied with his fingers. "Then again from what I heard, you're a failure at life. I've been watching you for a while…"_

_"Please j-just leave me a-alone…"_

_Again he ignored her. "You know," He turned his back to her and took a sip of the drink in his hands; it wasn't just punch, but an actual alcoholic drink. What was a thirteen year old doing with that kind of stuff?!_

_Hinata started to stand in an effort to leave, as she walked past him and towards the door, he turned towards the opposite direction and stilled her hand with his next words. "Everyone down there saw you strike out with Naruto, you want to go back down there to the ridicule?" Hinata felt the tears pooling in her eyes and turned sharply towards Sasuke. He glanced at her over his shoulder, his smirk not receding in the slightest. "When are you going to stop running away?"_

_Hinata mustered the hardest glare possible but nothing could equal the hate in the Uchiha's eyes. He seemed like he seriously loathed her. Hinata turned back to the door having every intention of opening and leaving his stifling presence. She didn't have to deal with judging words, and his cold looks._

He's like every other person who judges me…even Naruto…he judged me as well. Why…? Even when I work so hard to move out of my comfort zones…even when I place my heart on my sleeve…I end up losing…I can't stand those people who judge me….

_Hinata's hand wouldn't move any farther. She could see the trembling in her hands and feel the tears in her eyes. This was all just too much._

_"You want it to stop don't you?" Hinata's eyes widened in shock as she heard his voice. It wasn't calculating…just…dull; stating. She turned to stare at him as he gazed at her with his ebony eyes._ _A silly thought ran through her head. _He really is handsome…I understand why the girls love him…

_He turned towards her and circled around her, forcing her to retreat towards the bed as she tried to keep an even distance between them. His eyes lighted as he realized this, and his posture straightened._

_"You want to prove everyone wrong right? Stop them from thinking you're exactly what they expect you to be." Hinata just stood dumbly, her eyes glued to the dark haired boy. She was the one who was supposed to be good at reading people…so why was he suddenly able to read each and every one of her feelings so easily?_

Ugh, I feel like I'm spinning in circles…all this crying…and that weird punch…everything's affecting me. Are Sasuke's eyes _red? _I feel like I'm being drawn in…_ Hinata nodded mutely at his statement, though instinctively. Her mind seemed to be falling apart and she didn't know why she was so out of it._

_"You know…" Sasuke looked to the side for a second, almost as if he was mulling over something. Hinata's brain snapped back into action as his eyes released hers and she shook her head to clear out her muddled thoughts. Just as soon as she did so she was caught back up in Sasuke's dark eyes. "You could stop everything…all the hateful words, all the people looking down on you…underestimating you…isn't that your problem? Being so shy and innocent that no one thinks you can do anything?"_

_"I…I c-can't stop p-people from t-thinking t-those things a-about me…I-I've tried e-everything…"_

_Sasuke smirked and glanced at her, almost mischievously; but Hinata knew Uchiha Sasuke never did anything so half-heartedly as just mischievous. "Everything…?" He gave her a secretive look. "You haven't tried everything…"_

_"W-what have I m-missed t-then?!" Hinata asked in aggravation. Why was he holding out on her when she could potentially solve all her problems? Maybe there was still a chance with Naruto…if only he would tell her what this secret was…_

_Sasuke moved to the bed and sat down on the edge, Hinata didn't have the strength to move away because of his eyes. "You're problem is everyone expecting you to sit down and take everything, expecting you to be the little innocent goody-two-shoes who doesn't do anything bad, always does what she's told. Those qualities never work in our world, and so you're looked down upon, assumptions are made of you." Sasuke leaned back on his hand and drained the rest of his drink. "But if you were to do something that would change that…perspective…something the person you are now would never do, then you could prove all those who judge you wrong. They would see where they are wrong."_

_Hinata nodded dully again. His words were hitting true in her dizzy head…everything he was saying _was_ true…_Do something that proves them wrong…_"W-what can I-I do though…?"_

_Sasuke's smirk grew more prominent._

_"Are you willing to do whatever I say?"_

_Her answer was quiet but resolute. "Anything…"_

_"Don't worry; because I'm a nice person and I feel bad for you're pathetic ass…I'll help you." He motioned for her to move towards him, which she did, almost robotically. Sasuke pulled her down so she was kneeling in front of his and smirked hugely before crushing his lips to her._

_Normally, Hinata's thoughts would go into overdrive and tell her what she was doing was _wrong. _But for some reason, all thought processes seemed to still as Sasuke's lips kneaded hers. Everything seemed blank, life, her body, that moment. All she could feel was his lips on hers, and the simple thoughts: _I have to prove them wrong, I have to prove them wrong, I have to prove them wrong….

Wait…who…?

_Hinata gasped and pulled away from Sasuke, wiping her mouth on her hand and staring at him in shock. What did he just do?! "H-how does t-this h-have t-to do with all o-of this?!" Hinata tried to sound mad, but she only stuttered and blushed, shock most prevalent in her features._

_Sasuke sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at her sharply and glared. "Because, they obviously wouldn't expect you to be involved with a guy. You hear all those people talking about their latest guy or girl. If you have a story to tell, then they won't think you're an asexual freak anymore." _

_Though they should have, the thoughts of _But I'm only twelve… _Never ran through her head._

Sure…if you think of it that way…I don't want to be the weirdo anymore…

_"Are you good now?" Sasuke demanded, and Hinata acquiesced and nodded dully. Nothing else was registering anymore, she was too worn out. "Finally…as long as I get some too…" Hinata didn't notice the connotation of the mumbled words of frustration from the boy. He grabbed for her and kissed her harshly. _

_It took a while for Hinata to get used to the feel, and even then, as soon as she got used to his kisses, he'd apply more pressure and make her want to cry out and quit like she always did. When she actually did try to pull away, Sasuke growled out, "Just think of it this way, I know Naruto, and this is how he likes it, if you can do this with me without stopping, you can do t his for Naruto as well. And he would like that…a lot." That got Hinata._

_Sasuke deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth and surprising her. His tongue lashed out against her own, pushing past and dominating her weak will easily. His tongue seemed to have a mind of its own, as if the only thing it wanted was to move as deep as possible into the cavern of her mouth. Hinata choked and pulled away, gasping for much needed air. Sasuke, frustrated with her, didn't let her rest at all, he started working off her clothes, which made Hinata squeal. One glare from Sasuke and she meekly lifted her arms as he pulled at her dress. After getting her dress off, Sasuke removed his own shirt and kissed Hinata again. _

_This time his hands roamed her body, something that embarrassed Hinata to no end. She tried to cover herself but Sasuke shoved her hands away from her body and let his hands rake at her sides. Hinata couldn't help the ragged gasp that ran through her as his hands brushed her down below. Suddenly her bra was unclasped and tossed to the side with a comment of, "You don't have boobs at _all…" _She flamed at what was happening…it was all going so fast…but there were suddenly funny feelings in the pit of her stomach, feelings that were being stoked with each rub and each harsh kiss. _

_"Do this." His whispered, and demonstrated. She gasped at the feelings of his motions. She slowly grasped his fingers and slipped her mouth around them, alternating between sucking and licking, how was it that such little movements could do so much to one's body?_

_He bit her abused her lips, bit at her neck, at her breasts. His hands grasped her breasts roughly, but Hinata could not bring the strength to stop his touches. His hand moved down to her panties, rubbing at her secret spot and eliciting a moan that sounded so sexual, Hinata had to wonder in shock if it really came from her. She was left gasping for air as he continued his ministrations, not relenting, but not allowing the fire in her abdomen grow. Every time she buckled at the surge of arousal that ran through her body, he'd still his motions and leave her panting over his hand. _

_Sasuke suddenly stopped, not allowing her to climax at all, but feel a sharper yearning, something that she'd never felt before. That sexual frustration, something unknown to her before that moment, left her gritting her teeth in aggravation. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes._

_"Before you get any further, I have to get something out of you." He glanced down at his pants and Hinata's eyes followed, landing on the growing bulge there. She looked up at him in shock and confusion, but he was unrelenting. "Unzip them." He demanded, and Hinata hesitantly did as she was told._

_As soon as he was exposed, Hinata felt another tugging from the feelings in her abdomen. She looked up at Sasuke face and was surprised to find his head thrown back, eyes closed in what seemed like ecstasy. She looked back down and hesitantly ran a finger over the tip of him, and was rewarded with a moan. She gasped and pulled away, fearing that she'd hurt him. If she had, he'd probably chew her out for it…_

_His eyes snapped to her, his head still thrown back. "Why'd you stop?" He gritted out, and Hinata realized what he wanted. _

_"N-no…"_

_"Grasp it." He took her hand in his and wrapped it around his length. As soon as she had him securely in her grasp his hand fell from hers and he groaned once again. "Now move up and down…hurry!" The urgency in his words jump started her body and she started to pump his member, suddenly feeling way more aroused than before, just by the motion._

_Sasuke was leaning back on his hands, his breath coming out in rapid huffs, and Hinata watched in awe. It was a beautiful thing to watch, she thought. He was so handsome, and he made such instinctual acts look so…right. She knew what feelings were building up inside him, why he was feeling more wonton, and his breaths came out more ragged by the second._

_"It's not enough." He muttered, and Hinata stilled her movements momentarily. He hissed in objection. "U-use your mouth…"He gasped and Hinata glanced warily at his throbbing member. _Naruto-kun…Naruto-kun and my pride are on the line…no matter how wrong the act…I must do it if it will stop people from judging me before they get to know me…and stop looking down on me…

_She moved towards his length and Sasuke held his breath in anticipation as he watched her. When her breath touched him, he hissed, his teeth gritting involuntarily. "Come on…" He murmured, his body almost unwilling to take the torture any longer. _

_A tentative lick was almost enough to make him cum right there. Suddenly feeling confident that she was making the right ministrations, she engulfed his length with her warm mouth; her eyes glance up at him to make sure she was doing the right thing. As she moved up and down, her eyes caught Sasuke's and she found herself unable to look away. Half lidded eyes full of lust…lust that she was the cause of. It made her feel…empowered._

_It was that empowerment that continued her actions, moving faster and faster, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's. Something akin to amazement was on Sasuke's face, as he watched Hinata lick and engulf him again and again, he was so close and Hinata could tell._

_"I'm coming!" He groaned, and before Hinata could ask exactly what he meant, she felt a sudden foreign substance engulf her mouth. "Swallow." She did as she was told, slightly disgusted by the act._

_Thinking they were done, Hinata moved to get up but was stopped by Sasuke. "Were not done yet." His grabbed her hand and pushed her towards the bed, moving on top of her. "We're at the best part…"_

_Hinata could not bring the proper thought processes to stop him._

_

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_Well that ended pretty graphic. Lmao. That was my first smut content ever, so sorry if it sucked. I'm not really good at that stuff…well I have practice in the morning at 6:30 in the morning so I'm going to hit the hay, so to speak, please review, and hey, have any advice for my senior year?? Thanks for all the support, I honestly get through my day cuz you guys! And don't forget to vote on my poll! Until next time,_

_P.S.- This is not edited cuz I wanted it out as soon as possible, so, sorry, I'll do it another day :)._

_Trinity Effect_


	8. Chapter Eight: Resentment

_Hey Guys….I'm sorry this is so very late…not really what I wanted but, my computer crashed and so my parents finally bought a new laptop for me :) Luckily I'm very cautious and backed up all my story files on a USB drive! Sorry it is so very late, but this story is not dead I swear! Also, it's my birthday today!!! I'm legal in most states! Lmao so I rushed to finish this to get it on in time for a little gift for ya'll from me, to myself, or something like that….(I confused myself a little there…) Luckily my school had a holiday on my birthday and we have a four day weekend! No idea why, maybe the school wanted to celebrate my birthday that much! Thank you for all the lovely reviews and I want to clear up something. I know it's so odd that everyone magically forgot Hinata, but as I've said before she's the wallflower and no one really knew her and Sakura will start to recognize her in later chapters, also, this story pretty much rides on that, so let's just pretend they got swept with magical fairy dust okay?? Just a little secret between us okay? ;) I love ya'll so much and I just realized how Texan I sound just by typing that….in a review can you guys tell me if you know ppl from Texas or know any stereotypes of them and if I fit it by my typing?? Just curious! :) Okay read…..now!!!!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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**Chapter Eight: Resentment is a Funny Thing…**

Sasuke had to admit what Hinata said sounded exactly like what he'd do.

Hell, he started to do it to her now too. He was the predator and she the prey.

But how could any man just sit and take a woman telling them their child was his when he didn't even remember it happening? He was someone who prided himself on his being a genius, so was she literally telling him he was stupid?

He didn't want to take responsibility because, frankly, there was no proof. Sure the child looked like him, but that could have been chance. Why should he take responsibility for such a sudden event? And he didn't want something like this to tie him down. His life was already too much to handle; adding another life to dictate would only make it worse.

"That's not proof at all. That's just a story. I won't accept that." He put on a brave smirk and stared Hinata down. "You know why innocent men and women are put to death every year, but our society continues to state that they had fair trial? It's because of those god damned witnesses. Once the mind makes up its decision about something, the mind will construct such 'memories' to back it up. I'll give you one guess who the witness is." He raised an eyebrow at her, expecting an answer. Hinata just watched him in shock. _He'll never admit it…he plans to draw this out until the very end…_

Ryouichi started to complain. "Why are you denying everything?" He voiced to his supposed father, who only glared at him in return and opened his mouth to backlash him.

Tsunade decided to intervene.

"Sasuke, if you won't believe whatever we say, or what you _see_, we could always conduct a paternity test…" Tsunade grinned when she saw Sasuke's smirk drop.

"What's a paternity test?" Ryouichi asked, glancing anxiously at Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled sympathetically and glanced at Hinata for permission. She nodded silently, her eyes locked on the ground. "Ryouichi-kun, a paternity test tells you if two people are related, it's used for finding the fathers of other people." At the word father, Tsunade glared at Sasuke, Ryouichi's gaze following hers. However, his face was void of all emotion. Another hint at who his real father was.

"I'm not taking a stupid paternity test, like hell I will!" Sasuke growled and moved towards the door with every intention of leaving.

Hinata had not moved as he literally insulted her integrity. She just stared at where he was once standing, something akin to shock on her face.

_He's leaving…he's leaving…_

"Wait!" Hinata screamed, stopping right in front of him, hands held out as if to block the hallway. He refused.

Hinata found herself backpedalling down the hall, Sasuke pushing against her palms with all his force. "Please…!" She begged and despite her promise to not cry in front of this heathen, the tears came unbidden.

Sasuke stopped abruptly at the sight of tears. _Shit…_ Crying girls was his weak point but this was too far. "I have nothing more to say to you." He hissed, looking straight ahead lest he give in at the sight of tears.

"Well then say them to your son! He's wanted to meet you for years! Please…"

Sasuke roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, gritting his teeth in her face as he growled out, "He. Isn't. My. God. Damned. Son!" Hinata struggled to pull away but he tousled her within his grip and stated louder. "You guys don't mean anything to me. I won't give in. He's not my son and you!" He shoved his finger in her face, "Are a pathetic human being."

The words seemed to hit her finally for she retracted and stood before him, head bowed. He thought he had finally won and shoved past her to get away from the accursed room and people when she uttered the words that would haunt him long after the event: "You would leave a child without a father? And of all people you would think you would understand where he comes from…"

And when he turned around she was gone.

OoOoOoOoO

That man was his father?

Not if he had anything to say about it.

Ryouichi watched his mother put up a front and smile at him as she fixed his uniform for the fiftieth time in front of his school. She always fidgeted when she was preoccupied.

"Okaa-san…" Ryouichi started, watching his mother focus on his collar for longer than necessary. She started and glanced up at him as if forgetting herself.

"Ah! You should be heading off to class, no? I'll come pick you up as soon as my school lets out okay?" She gave him a smile which looked like a grimace to him if only because he knew her so well.

It took his mother another minute of just looking at him before she was able to stand and press a kiss against his forehead. And another to finally release his hands and bid him have a good day. He tried to extend the same courtesy but his mother was so off that she seemed to weave her way to the men in the masks and leave. He sighed, frustrated.

What kind of man was he? He pondered once again as his class had drawing time. He had drawn a family of three, a mother, a father and a son. The mother -on the left- was pretty and had pearl eyes that looked down on her son with pure devotion; the father was handsome with hair and eyes of the darkest kind that seemed to stare off into space.

And in the middle with a serene smile was a little boy who was looking up at his father with awe. A spitting image of his father.

He stared at this picture for the longest time, even when recess started he continued to sit there and stare at his artwork, not a fan of playing with the others anyways. _I hate that man…he made Okaa-san cry and he was so mean…how can I be related to that…? He's not what I imagined….my father…._

He was surprised to find himself scratching the face of the man in the picture with his red crayon, making a huge 'X' that marred the handsome face. He couldn't stop though.

He got a better handle on the poor crayon and put all of his force into it until it was nothing but a stub of its former self. Ryouichi glared at the figure.

When he finally stopped in a huff from his exertion, he stared at his new masterpiece.

_I will never accept him. Just like he said to me….."You have no proof that I'm this supposed 'father'. And if you have no proof, it's like he doesn't exist to me."….Well you no longer exist to me._

All that remained was a feral grin and a huge red 'X'.

OoOoOoOoO

"I have to admit…that didn't really go the way I had planned." Tsunade confided in her two partners in crime. Well…guilty by association.

"Oh really…? What was you're first hint?!" Kurenai was positively livid. She had warned Tsunade of this….if only she had pushed harder for her to not go through with this idiotic scheme of hers… "That was a total disaster Tsunade-sama, and I think you've scarred both Hinata and Ryouichi for life. Hinata is a smart girl; she knew something like this would happen that's why she _left for four years. _You pretty much destroyed everything she had built for herself! And what about Ryouichi? He will never trust a father figure again…this isn't another one of your petty little gambles! These are human lives! I truly pity them." Kurenai slumped into her chair; done with her rant. Kakashi gave her a side swept glance and then raised his hand rather demurely.

Tsunade sighed. "Would you like to add on to her case Kakashi?"

Kakashi's eyes crinkled and he held his hands up in defense. "No, I think she covered it." He looked at Kurenai apprehensively as she glared at him. "But Tsunade….what was your true motive behind this? I know it wasn't just a petty little scheme, you knew exactly what you were doing."

Tsunade chuckled sarcastically at his words and stared at her folded hands. "Kurenai's right in this not being a gamble. But sometimes in order to bring about some good…people have to be sacrificed. It won't be for naught, even though my plan didn't go the way I wanted it to, it still did work in some ways. I just have to tweak my next move." She looked pointedly at Kurenai. "This isn't to ruin Hinata and her son's lives, it's quite the opposite. I'm trying to save a life before it goes too far."

Kurenai sneered. "And how so?"

"Uchiha Sasuke is going down a bad path. No matter how hard we try, none of us can get through to him! But…blood is thicker. Sure Hinata's not related to him, but her son is the ultimate key." Tsunade stood and held her hands out before her, palms facing the sky. "Don't you see?"

"This is the chance we have been waiting for. We can't afford to have the last Uchiha turn down the wrong path…not again. He is the heir to his estate and the Uchiha Company; without him, Konoha is in major trouble economically and he is an important and loved person in this society no matter how rude and brash. Not only that…" Tsunade paused and looked about apprehensively before starting up again. "There have been reports of movement from you-know-who."

Kurenai gasped and Kakashi's hands balled up into fists in anger.

"_What_?" The usually untouchable silver haired man growled. "So soon..?"

"It was a matter of time." Tsunade shrugged as if the situation was of little importance but the tenseness of the movement proved otherwise.

"But then that means…" Kurenai looked at the other two in alarm.

"Yes. The rest have started to move as well. They will be upon us in a matter of time." Tsunade looked out her window and onto the grounds that she ruled with an iron fist. "They might already be among us." She turned back around and looked at the two teachers before her with utmost seriousness.

"I can protect those who don't want to be protected only so much. But…" Tsunade opened her file cabinet and took out two files; Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke. "I can make it so that he _wants _to be protected. It's just a matter of manipulation." She placed the files on the desk facing her associates and opened them up revealing the page that held relations.

Both only had two names written down.

"It's amazing what money can erase." She gestured at the empty lines underneath the names. "They have no other relations as of these files. Sasuke truly doesn't have any safe ones for that matter which has made him become the rude, arrogant figure we now know and love to hate. But I'm one hundred percent sure that if we introduce these…new relations, he'll eventually grow out of this….stage in his life. And not only that," Tsunade pointed at Hinata's picture, paperclipped on the front of the documents. "How long can a girl take care of a child on her own?"

Kurenai sighed and shook her head. "You really had this thought out, huh? But still…This can become worse as well…you're really taking a risk in this…it's like a blind man trying to drive. There are other solutions that could work such as locking him away 'til it's safe to come out." She smirked at Kakashi as she dissed one of his favorite pupils. He shrugged.

"Though that would work in some ways, eventually he would have to take responsibilities for Hinata and Ryouichi…how would locking him up be beneficial?" The mask lifted up and he winked. Kurenai simmered in her seat.

"That's enough you two. As you can see we'll have to figure out a new battle plan but I have confidence in your abilities and in our 'subjects'." Tsunade grinned.

"Well what are you planning to do next?" Kakashi asked.

"None of your business."

"What confidence you have in us Tsunade-sama!"

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata knew she was out of whack.

She couldn't think straight and she felt detached from the whole world.

Out of control.

Everything was out of control.

Not wanting to see that cruel man's face, Hinata had skipped school for the day and instead ran errands, worked odd jobs for small amounts of money and cleaned the house. She was sure Tsunade would understand –not that it mattered, in the very least Tsunade owed her big time.

No one had questioned her being out of school but she thought it might have been her dazed look that made them sympathize.

It wasn't in Hinata's capacity to curse her luck or certain _people _but if it had been, she wouldn't just be cursing them -she'd be murdering them.

Ryouichi had prematurely met his father. The end was disastrous. There was no good side, only a moot end to a hopeless endeavor. Didn't they know she would have tried that already if she knew it would work?!

And now she knew that all hope she had had been blown away. Sasuke would not accept Ryouichi. But then again she wondered numbly, _what was she hoping for?_

That Sasuke would accept Ryouichi?

And then what?

They would live happily ever after and go to some mystical land in a unicorn drawn carriage over a rainbow bridge?

Dead wrong.

She knew that the world and life were cruel and that only the toughest survived. She had fought for her stand in the world for seventeen years! People like Tsunade and Sasuke had it easy. No one looked down on them, mocked them, determined them weak. They were idolized and loved and they loved to mess with others' lives. And now they were threatening her only vestige of happiness.

Ryouichi.

No matter how hard it was, no matter the pains or the means, he was always there loving her all the way.

Ever since she found out she was pregnant those fateful four years ago, she knew there was a special bond between them. In those darkest hours of her life she somehow found a renewed strength in the life inside her belly.

And when he was out in the world it was even more so.

Ryouichi gave her the attention and rapture a shy girl like her needed. He gave her importance and a chance to be needed.

Most of all he gave her the love she so terribly craved.

How could she not love the life that grew within her? How could she not want to protect her little Ryouichi from all that could harm him when he was the only one who needed her and made her reason for existence palpable?

And here there were…people who didn't understand them still trying to interfere.

_Ryouichi is probably worried about me…I wasn't all there when I left him at school…_Hinata thought to herself as she finished mopping up an old lady's floors.

"Ah Hinata-san! Thank you for your help! After throwing out my back simple chores like these have become all but impossible for me. Here your payment." The lady handed over an envelope which Hinata took hesitantly.

"Thank you baa-chan. Is there anything else you would like done before I go?" Hinata helped the lady to the sitting room and into the chair. She began to fluff her pillow and prop up her legs.

"No child, if I ask you for anything else I might get arrested for working a minor!" She laughed and Hinata smiled sweetly.

"Well then I must be going I have to finish up a few errands before going home." Hinata stood to leave.

"My, what a responsible girl you are. If you want, come here tomorrow at your convenience and I'll find a few more chores to squeeze outta!" The old lady winked. Hinata smiled and nodded.

"Sure! But I really have to go."

"That's fine, be careful on your way home!"

Hinata ran like the wind, reaching the preschool totally out of breath.

What she didn't expect was a little figure to run out the doors as soon as she arrived and tackle her midriff in a hug. "Oomph!" She flew backwards and barely managed to keep them upright.

"Okaa-san!" Ryouichi buried his face in her stomach, legs dangling in the air. "I missed you!"

_Strike that…very worried…_Hinata thought as she gently set Ryouichi down on the ground and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I missed you too Ryou. What are you doing out here though? I told you to stay in the school until I get you…"

"I know but I….was worried." He looked up at her with those puppy dog eyes, the very same ones that got her to move back to Konoha. But everything had been for naught.

Hinata kneeled down in front of Ryouichi and smiled gently. "I'm sorry I worried you but I'm okay now. See?" Hinata used her thumb and index finger to lift the corners of her lips in a silly grin. It had the desired effect for Ryouichi laughed and rushed to push his mother's hand down.

"Okaa-san! Don't do that in public!" He complained through his giggles. She gave a mock sigh and playfully rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay. You have everything?" Ryouichi nodded and presented his bag. Hinata smiled and took his hand. "Good, well we have to go to Ichiraku's again…" Ryouichi smiled and nodded his consent as they walked to their destination. During the walk they made small talk.

Hinata glanced at her son from the corner of her eye. _He's acting normal considering the seriousness of today's events…how is he not angry…or resentful? _There was nothing different about Ryouichi as far as she could see and it unnerved her slightly.

_Please don't be angry with me...or feel like you're any less loved or cared for. You're everything to me. Sasuke's not important…You don't need a father to be happy…we don't need a father to be whole. It's not your fault; it's not because of you. _So many tumultuous emotions were raging inside her, the foremost was guilt. She wanted to say so many things to Ryouichi, to make his burden lighter.

So why did he seem so perfectly normal after hearing his own father dismiss his very existence?

She was afraid to confront Ryouichi about it, not wanting to bring up the events from earlier that day and breaking the false peace. Everything felt so wrong. It felt like things were on the rocks…that she was going to fall and it would inadvertently hurt Ryouichi too.

Not if she had anything to say about it.

Hinata was presently wiping down tables once again, Ryouichi deciding he would rather sit in a booth today than at the bar area. He was coloring, his legs kicking at some indiscernible rhythm.

Everything seemed so eerily calm that Hinata just knew something bad would happen eventually.

The chime from the opening of the front door tinkled cheerily. Or in warning.

As if on queue, Sakura, Ino, Naruto and Sasuke walked in, talking amongst themselves. Hinata, unaware, called out as was her job. "Welcome to Ichiraku's!"

But when she looked up, all mental processes stalled.

The group also stopped in surprise but instantly their faces turned into smirks, a grin and a blank stare respectively.

"Ah Naruto! It's so good to see you!" The boisterous voice of Teuchi called out, jarring Hinata out of her trance. She blushed and tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she moved away from Naruto's line of path. And as usual, he didn't see her.

"Old man!" Naruto ran up to said man at the bar area and talked animatedly. "It's been so long since I had your ramen! How is Ayame-chan?" Teuchi chuckled.

"She's hanging in there, she'll be up and around by the end of the week! How long has it been kid, two months?"

"Yes…"Naruto whined, scuffing his foot against the ground and giving the ramen shop manager his sweetest puppy dog look. "Jiraiya said I couldn't have any 'cause I wrecked another one of his 'research' sessions…can I have free ramen?!" Hinata turned and her eyes caught Sasuke's.

He wouldn't let her look away.

Teuchi scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "How does that make any sense? My best customer and I give him the food for free?! You can pay just as well as the others." He huffed and then pointed his chin in Hinata's direction who instantly clammed up and turned to him in shock. Apparently her appalled feelings were able to break through Sasuke's deathly stare. "Hinata-chan will take your orders so sit down and don't fuss."

"Sure!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically and motioned to his friends, one who just stood to the side, his eyes still pinned to the mousy girl with white eyes, and the other two rolling their eyes at Naruto's actions. They all sat down at a booth and from their glances in her direction as she took bowls out to other tables, she knew they were talking about her.

_Its Naruto-kun…_Hinata blushed and pressed her fingers to her lips in excitement, all previous grievances with him gone with just the thought.

…_And Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke. _Hinata paled. _Sasuke…I can't confront him now…I don't want to speak with him! He ruined Ryouichi's chances…hurt him…I don't want to even look at his face…_

She had stalled for so long they might just get mad at her for keeping them waiting…and Teuchi was giving her his warning look…

Hinata closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made her way over to the table. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ryouichi, hoping he didn't see Sasuke.

He was still coloring.

_Thank you whatever higher being is helping me here…just let them leave and make sure Ryouichi doesn't seem them…I'm begging you, I don't want him to see him again, once was enough. Out of all the ramen shops Naruto had to like this one…_

Hinata put on her best smile (which began to twitch in nervousness) and made her way over to the booth of teens, pulling out her pad and pencil and any bit of courage she had.

The group was sitting at a rounded booth, the girls on the inside and the boys sitting on the edges. Naruto was talking to Sasuke happily and Sakura and Ino were both texting on their phones.

Sasuke was staring at her.

"Hello, w-what would you l-like to order?" Hinata looked at them all questioningly but made sure to not even acknowledge Sasuke. She didn't even face his direction once.

"Hi Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned at her and she felt her face heat up once again. "I didn't know you worked here!" Hinata nodded shyly and pressed her hand to her lips.

"I'm only s-standing i-in for A-Ayame-san…" Sakura and Ino both started giggling at their phones which made Hinata's eyes snap to them in nervousness. Naruto's eyes followed hers and he seemed to actually see her discomfort.

"Oh well that's really nice of you Hinata-chan! Can I have three pork ramen?" He smiled at her so sweetly that Hinata felt as if she was basking in the sun. "Ano…Hinata-chan….? Aren't you going to write that down…?" Naruto looked pointedly at the notepad in her hands and she blushed and rushed to carryout the task he had mentioned. In her rush however, she fumbled with the notepad and it fell to the ground after a few attempts to catch it.

Sakura and Ino laughed harder.

"Wow she's a klutz!" Sakura whispered loudly to Ino who nodded and voiced her opinion.

"I hope she doesn't do that to our food!"

"Ano…What w-would y-you like to e-eat?" Hinata turned to the two who were making fun of her, wanting to just disappear.

The two looked to one another, smirks on their faces.

"I will have a miso ramen with eggs, not boiled, fish cakes and boiled squid." Sakura smirked and sat back in her seat, hands folded over her chest. Hinata gulped at the weird concoction.

"We o-only have d-dried squid…i-it's not in s-season r-right now…"

"Well that's what I want! So you either get to me, or I'll leave!" Hinata blushed and nodded fearfully, her eyes turned down. She didn't want to lose a valuable customer.

"I-I'll see w-what I can d-do…" She turned to Ino.

"I'll have a chicken ramen without the chicken…and put some…ketchup in it…you have that stuff right?" Hinata stared in shock. They weren't serious were they…?

"Uhm, I don't think we sell that kind of food here…"

Ino's face screwed up into one of cynicism. "Well I'm your customer so you should get me what I want! You don't want me to leave now do you? I don't think you're boss would be happy to know you didn't get a customer what they wanted."

"H-hai!" Hinata yelped and received disgusted looks. Hinata shook with fear, her almost on the verge of crying.

"Just get them the same as me, that's what they _usually _get." Naruto smiled.

Hinata just stared at him in awe. He was so kind hearted, sweet, understanding…

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed and pinched his arm, making him wince and rub his abused appendage. "You're not supposed to tell her that!"

"But she's busy working and I'm hungry, the longer you stall the longer I have to wait!" Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. _He's so cute…_

"Naruto why do you always have to ruin everything?!" Ino griped and turned to Sasuke. "Ne Sasuke, doesn't Naruto just ruin everything?" Her words fell on deaf ears.

Everyone turned to Sasuke except Hinata, waiting for an answer.

They were met with silence.

"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke!" Sakura yelled and snapped her fingers in front of Sasuke's face. She wasn't too happy about the fact that her Sasuke was staring at another girl.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand in mid air and growled without taking his eyes off Hinata, "Don't you ever snap in my face again." Sakura blushed and nodded nervously.

"S-so…five of the Miso and pork ramen?" Hinata murmured, trying to get away from the hostility in the group as soon as possible.

"You haven't taken Sasuke's order yet Hinata-chan!" Naruto pointed out brightly, motioning to the gloomy guy across from him. Hinata mentally sighed.

"What w-would you l-like to o-order…?" Hinata turned towards Sasuke but only looked at his chin, not meeting his eyes. Sasuke was silent for a long time before he answered,

"Miso."

With that Hinata turned back to Naruto and said, more confident than before now that she had an excuse to leave, "Okay, I'll be o-out with the food -s, thank you for choosing Ichiraku's!"

When she brought out the food however…

"The broth is too cold!"

"The noodles are undercooked!"

"I don't like this flavor anymore."

The last statement made by Sasuke seemed like the last straw for the poor girl to take.

Gritting her teeth, Hinata reached for the bowls again and said. "I will ask for new orders and bring them out." She stated to Ino and Sakura who looked mildly surprised at her lack of stuttering. She then turned to Sasuke.

"P-pray tell what you w-would like to have then sir?" Hinata couldn't help the stuttering with Sasuke but the sarcasm was still there.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I don't appreciate your sarcasm."

Hinata juggled the bowls in her hands and stated without looking at him. "Well m-maybe you wouldn't get it if you weren't such a rude, s-selfish p-person."

"You I'm about sick of looking at your face. Stop stalking me will you? You'll never get anything out of me, stop trying so hard." He purposely left out all the details of his argument. He did not want the others to know about Hinata's so called connection to him.

All semblance of strength left her as she heard him say those words and she turned on her heel and murmured, "I wish you would d-disappear out of my life."

_Then why did you come into mine?_ He thought angrily.

OoOoOoOoO

Ryouichi watched the altercation between his mother and his supposed father as soon as the group had walked in the door. He noticed his mother look at him to see if he noticed.

Of course he did, nothing stopped him from noticing things around his mother especially.

_That man is absolutely despicable. I hate him. HE will never be my father._

He swore it on his very life.

* * *

_I'm sorry this chapter is absolutely horrendous but I'll have to fix it later when I revise after the story's done okay? I'll try to do better with the next chapter :) Thank you for reading and asking about me, you guys are so sweet for being so polite with your requests and no one has rushed me but been very understanding. My dance competition is next week so times will be cramped! Wish me luck!! Until next time!_

_TrinityEffect_


	9. Chapter Nine: Conscience

_Mostly a filler chapter to get the story moving. Sorry it sucks :( I'll try better next time I promise! And don't mind the errors if there are any I haven't edited at all. I'll fix them in a while :) Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Stupid Conscience…**

Sasuke was absolutely frustrated with himself.

The reason?

The Hyuuga girl's words had yet to leave his head.

He tried drinking it away.

He felt it the next morning along with the reverberating words bouncing around his throbbing head.

He tried to go out with his friends but it was always nagging at him from the back of his head.

"_You would leave a child without a father? And of all people you would think you would understand where he comes from…"_

Nothing was working and frankly he was plain tired. Tired of thinking about it, tired of life, tired of all those stupid things called emotions running around his head.

Hell why should he be frustrated with himself? It was that stupid girl's fault for stepping into his life and trying to ruin it. He never liked being naïve but in this case he wished she never said a word to him and forced him to actually thinking about such a confusing thing as conceiving a child.

He was a teenager for God's sake!

And yet something (he found out it was his conscience) told him that the Hyuuga girl was a teenager too and this would have affected her more than him.

So what?

There had been many girls in the past few years that accused him of impregnating them and each time they had been out to pin him down as theirs. None of their arguments had been validated and when it came down time to take a pregnancy test, they instantly and magically were not pregnant, it was just a mistake by the doctor who told them the news, blah blah blah.

The only problem with this scenario was the fact that it wasn't about a pregnancy, the child was actually alive, and grown up quite a bit from what he could tell.

And it's not like you could pretend facial structures and looks unless the plastic surgery industry had found a new haven in children.

But that was the problem. All the evidence was pointing at this story being true. And out of all the girls that had accused him before, they had always been trying to get him to agree, always talking to him, begging him, being overly nice. They wanted to possess him and it showed.

The Hyuuga on the other hand ignored him as soon as he walked into the ramen shop and she had been very hostile towards him, even considering her shy demeanor.

It was all her fault.

Her words had not left his head even after two days. His whole weekend had been officially ruined.

"_You would leave a child without a father? And of all people you would think you would understand where he comes from…"_

It wasn't an unknown fact that Uchiha Sasuke was the only Uchiha left after a freak accident. It had been all over the tabloids, "Mysterious deaths of the Uchiha franchise family" and "Sole Survivor of the Uchiha name: Uchiha Sasuke" but they did not know the real reason for the death of his whole family.

And that stupid Hyuuga was bringing up things he'd tried so hard to forget.

Yeah so her supposed child would be without a father, but he had been without a family for more than half of his life! He was pretty sure the child could deal; at least he had his "mother", he should count himself lucky.

But of course his conscious (the damned thing that decided to rear its head only at this point of his life) would instantly back track and he would think of all the times he'd wished his family was there. When he got into prestigious Konoha High School, when he won his track races, his basketball tournaments, his football games, his martial arts competitions…he had tried so hard to forget the pain that he had put himself into every time consuming sport or activity he could to stop the memories but when he excelled in them he was instantly reminded he had no one to share it with.

He told himself he didn't care, that he liked his lifestyle of freedom from parental influences, that he liked his life alone. He grew harsh and cold, he knew it had happened but it was his defense mechanism.

Anyone who got close to him seemed to disappear.

_Well…assuming Hinata is that kid's real mother…She would probably have been disowned from her family, which could explain why Neji barely knew her. If that was the case, then the kid doesn't have anyone _except _his mother._

Sasuke sighed in frustration as he mulled over his thoughts. He was in his living room, sitting on the couch and trying to read for class but was unable to stay focused. His eyes would go out of focus as he thought and when he snapped himself out of it, he would find himself unable to remember what he had just read.

Why was it that what that Hyuuga said would not leave his head?!

What if she was telling the truth and the kid was hers…and his? He had to admit the resemblance was uncanny, if anything it was more probable the kid was his instead of hers.

"_You would leave a child without a father? And of all people you would think you would understand where he comes from…"_

So what if he knew what it was like without a father? That didn't mean anything; he wasn't going to take responsibility for something that had nothing to do with him.

He was not able to compute, his body working on autopilot as his mind when through super drive.

_There's no way to say the child is mine so even if I was to say…try to give him a father…I might be doing it for nothing…_

Wait there was a way. The paternity test…

_No. I am not the father. And I have lived my life without one. So why should I care if another child goes through it? There are lots of people in the world who have to live without families._

This had nothing to do with him. It wasn't his problem, wasn't his fight.

Life wasn't fair and the kid would just learn a life lesson out of this.

Why should he give a damn about anyone else? He had become quite the upstanding man on his own so what was the worst that could happen to the kid Raichu or whatever?

_He could turn into me._

For some reason the thought daunted him.

OoOoOoOoO

Monday Sasuke asked Hinata if he could borrow a pencil in Homeroom. She had not said a word but eventually threw one on his desk and when he tried to write with it, he found there was no lead.

Tuesday Sasuke had to pass the baton to Hinata during running relays in gym class. Even though he distinctly remembered the stick touching her hand, it somehow fell on the ground and their team had to start over. He was blamed for it.

Wednesday Sasuke had to partner up with Hinata in Japanese literature and dissect an excerpt. He might as well have worked absolutely alone. When they presented to the class he had to do all the talking even though Hinata had all the information.

Thursday Sasuke asked Hinata to pass the CaCl₂ for the reaction in Chemistry. He put the clear substance given to him in the solution and the end was disastrous. He was on double cleaning duty that afternoon.

OoOoOoOoO

It had been a week since the meeting and Hinata had said not a single word to him since.

He didn't care, it wasn't like he needed her approval or something, it was just annoying when he asked her to read off the readings on the thermometer in chemistry and he was only met with silence.

Or when he asked her to move over so he could get through the walkway and she ignored him.

Okay he was annoyed, he would go so far as to say aggravated.

It was obvious she wasn't after him for anything because she pretended he didn't exist. And that worried him because that meant that her accusations might have some validity.

He tried desperately to remember taking her to bed but he couldn't remember a thing. Most women he did were only fuzzy images anyways. The kid looked around four or five, so that would mean that they would have plausibly been together when he was around thirteen. _Well that is around the time I started being sexually active…_

But Hinata didn't seem like the type of person to do that, no matter how many rude things he called her out loud and in his head. She was soft, shy, and she seemed too innocent to do any of the things the women he had been with had done. They were freaks…definitely not up her alley.

Sasuke was currently sitting at his lunch table being moody as usual as Naruto and Sakura bickered on either side of him, Ino read a magazine and Neji looked over prom locations for student council.

He was getting frustrated with the two idiots on either side of him and his racing thoughts, so he tried to tune everything out and ended up hearing Hinata's voice. His eyes alighted in interest as he heard the voice that haunted his mind for the past week for the first time and turned his head towards the sound.

"So Hinata, why haven't you been talking to Sasuke recently? I mean it's not like you guys were buddy-buddy or anything but Shino said he noticed you ignoring him in chemistry and not only that, I noticed it too. What did he do?" Kiba inquired and Sasuke stiffened as he realized his cover might be blown and he wasn't even sure if he was the father. Would she tell? _If she doesn't…then that would mean she's also shamed in the situation and it would mean it really is her child._

Sasuke waited with abated breath as she answered.

"N-no reason really. I just don't like him. He's rude, he's selfish, and I've only recently learned what a terrible soul he has." She said as if it was old news. _She's talking about my actions at Tsunade's office…_

Did that mean she was really telling the truth about the child being hers? That he could possibly be the father? If she was being so careful with what she was saying -though she could lay off the judging- then that meant something right? _In her own way it's like…she's protecting me…my image at least…_

"Well we all knew that but what did he do to you? Why all of the sudden?" Tenten burst in. Hinata paused for a moment.

"I have him as a lab partner. He always bosses me, and when I make a mistake he yells at me. We're all human yet why does he have to be so mean? I'm trying my best to make do with what I've got but he doesn't respect me…he doesn't believe me when I say sorry or when I say it was a mistake. So why should I keep trying to make nice?"

_It's almost like she knows I'm listening and she's talking in code. Maybe I should try talking to her._

In the next class he did just that.

"Hey, do you have yesterday's notes?" Sasuke broached as they waited for Kakashi to show up to class. Late as always.

Nothing.

Sasuke cleared his throat and stated again, trying to keep his cool.

"Hyuuga." Sasuke waved his hand in front of Hinata's face as she tried to read a book. No reaction.

Trying to keep a lid on his temper, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath before trying to communicate with her again.

When he opened his eyes he was met with an empty seat.

Looking around in confusion, Sasuke found Hinata on the other side of the room talking to Kiba as usual, her book forgotten on her desk.

Sasuke turned around and slumped in his chair with crossed arms and a crossed mood.

She should be honored that someone such as he was trying to actually go through the trouble of getting her attention yet she just brushed him off as nothing. He was fuming.

After around ten minutes of this, Kakashi decided to come in with an apology and an excuse; his pet donkey was giving birth to a mule.

Everyone knew that mules were only made by a male donkey and a female horse.

As soon as Kakashi had settled himself and drawn a line on the board, the bell rang.

"That's all of class guys! It's amazing how quickly it just passes by!" Kakashi smiled cheerfully and waved as his students left the room. "Have a good weekend!"

Sasuke got up in time to see Hinata exiting the room and surprisingly not walking with the dog boy.

Seeing this as his moment to seize, Sasuke bolted out of the classroom and pulled his back pack over his shoulders at the same time, dodging miscellaneous people and fan girls as he tried to catch up to the white eyed girl.

Just as she turned the corner…

Hinata gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and her books were splayed across the floor unceremoniously. Looking up at the perpetrator who had a death grip on her arm, she glared like he had never seen her do before.

"You!" She whispered angrily and he had to admit he felt a little twinge of nervousness; the woman was unpredictable.

Schooling his features quickly, he interrupted her before she had a moment to speak, "I need to talk to you and its kind of hard to do that when you are constantly ignoring me."

"I h-have nothing more to s-say to you." She murmured quietly and turned her head away from him sharply.

"Well I do." Sasuke shook her arm a little to get her attention but it only rattled her small frame and drew an angry huff from the girl. She pulled her arm out of his grip forcefully and Sasuke was ready for her to take off but she surprised him by staying, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before turning around and kneeling to retrieve her books.

She sounded resigned as she spoke. "What is i-it you want t-to say?" Sasuke ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He wanted her undivided attention.

"Do you know that you ruined my weekend?" Hinata scoffed and turned slightly towards him.

"Oh really? J-just you're p-precious weekend?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her sarcasm.

"Not just my weekend, my whole week to-"

"You know Sasuke, I-I'm not asking anything f-from you." Hinata stood and turned to him. "You h-have already told me t-that you don't w-want anything to d-do with me. I r-respected your w-wishes. I am pretending y-you don't exist anymore because y-you know what they say; 'not facing reality and hiding it magically m-makes it disappear.'"

"You know I really do not appreciate your sarcasm."

"W-well I can t-tell you many t-things that I don't appreciate about you e-either."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You are so annoying do you know that?"

Hinata shrugged. "So I-I've been told."

"Wow so that shy, nice girl thing is all an act isn't it? Who would have thought you were really such a bitch."

"I am not the "B" word!" Sasuke almost laughed at her substitution for the rude term.

"If you would just hear me ou-"

"No!" Sasuke was taken aback by the vehemence in small girl's voice. "I-I'm tired of people l-like you always stepping on m-me. I'm t-taking care of m-my family as b-best I can so y-you can go back to your innocent life!" Those words were so provocative….it was pissing him off.

Hinata had turned away from him, crying. Damn.

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. It didn't seem she would let up any time soon.

Hinata gasped as her arm was gripped and pulled at an amazing pace that was hard for her to match.

"W-whaa…Let go of me!" Hinata yelled and tried to pull away from his grip yet again but this time he wasn't relenting.

He threw over his shoulder as he continued on his unknown destination, "Shut the hell up okay?!"

Hinata simmered angrily. "I d-don't have to." She continued to tug against his hold.

She didn't let up as he continued to drag her, at one point he almost had to pick her up to continue his rampage. Hinata was fighting with such ambition she didn't realize where exactly Sasuke was taking her.

Sasuke slammed the large cherry wood door open and tossed an indignant Hinata in before grabbing her once again and pulling her up to the desk overlooking huge bay windows.

"S-Sasuke…" Tsunade stood up abruptly at the two teen's entrance and started, "What are you do-"

"I'll take the test." Sasuke growled, letting go of Hinata abruptly in front of him. She tripped towards Tsunade in shock.

"Excuse me?" Tsunade's brows crashed down.

Sasuke released another sigh, staring at the ground for a few seconds before looking up at the ceiling, running a hand through his hair.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this… but I'll take the damned paternity test."

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata couldn't help but feel like she had misjudged the boy sitting next to her just a tad.

He had agreed to take the test.

She still could not wrap her mind around that one, small factor.

Well it wasn't that small…

She kept stealing glances at Sasuke as Tsunade finished up a few extra things for the school.

Said principle sighed, taking off her reading glasses and rubbing her face in exhaustion. "So you said you wanted to take the test, correct?"

"Ah." Sasuke answered monotonously.

"You do realize if this comes out positive you'll be held responsible for the child too?" Sasuke nodded.

Tsunade smirked to cover her surprise. "Well then." She shuffled some papers and produced a contract, placing it between the two teenagers. Both moved to see it. "Don't expect to do it without reading the fine lines and signing documentation that you approve the test." With that she sat back and smiled.

Sasuke was already mad he had agreed to take the test. It was because that stupid girl was crying.

"I don't care what it says!" Sasuke grabbed the pen from off the desk and moved to sign it but was interrupted.

"Wait." Hinata voiced. "Tsunade-sama what d-does this contract actually e-entail?" Sasuke glanced at her angrily. He was already doing so much for her, why couldn't she just let him finish this?

Tsunade's smile grew gentle as she looked at Hinata. "The contract has a portion where Sasuke must sign saying he will take the paternity test, and that he cannot back out." She gave him a pointed look. He rolled his eyes.

"Also, before I forget Sasuke." Tsunade smirked once again and Sasuke knew she was up to something. "There's another part to the contract."

"What is it?" Sasuke growled.

"If I grant this and you are proven to be the father, you will be a part of this child's life. You will be involved, and will do anything in your power to help Hinata take care of Ryouichi. Anything I tell you to do according to this matter will be followed no matter what. If not…" Tsunade smiled at Hinata who seemed indignant to her words. "You will be expelled from Konoha High and I will take the matter to the council." Sasuke glowered at the blonde.

"And Sasuke, you won't have to worry about that because you're not the father, correct?" Tsunade winked.

And before anyone could interrupt again, Sasuke signed the paper with a flourish.

But maybe it was because he might change his mind if he thought too much.

* * *

_**IMPORTANT!** Well...to me..._

_Sorry this chapter sucks but I was stupidly writing _another _story….lmao. Well please read it, see what you think. It's more serious, and _very mature. _Please do not read it if you are not of a decent age to do so. I will not be putting very explicit chapters up (rules of fanfiction state you cannot have MA material), but the whole theme of the story is literally the title of the story ("Libido"). It's more like the better written stories on SasuHina, "The Little Things in Life" as I have said before is more carefree and lighthearted. _

_I will try my best to juggle both stories, I will probably, to be fair, update alternately so both reading parties are satisfied. Tell me if you think otherwise :) And please if you're a fan of this story, review the other one and tell me what you think! It's a totally different tone in that story and I want to see what you guys think about my writing in that area lol. Thank you again for being so patient and reviewing such lovely reviews! You know, lots of authors complain about how they get pestered to write, but you have been nothing but cordial. I don't if that means I suck or you are really being kind…;) Until next time!_

_TrinityEffect_


	10. Chapter Ten: Falsified Tests

_Okay I finally updated! I'm sorry if this part seems kinda muted and not really as dramatic as you would have thought it to be, but all that will come in future chapters. IF you have any questions, are confused (I'm perpetually so….), or want to guess the plot, by all means review and I'll reply. If you have any ideas that you would like to see in the story, those are welcome too. Sorry about my lack of updating but I just got done with freshman orientation for college. The college I'm going to is ranked fifteenth in the US but in playboy magazine, was named the number one party school lmao. They told us that at orientation. Anyways, go ahead and read :)_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Falsified Tests**

"Contact with the target has been made." A distinctly female, monotone voice spoke into a phone as her heels clicked down the dark hallway of Konoha Primary. There was a pause as the other person replied.

"Yes I'm positive it is him; the resemblance is uncanny." The woman stopped in front of the cubbies of the students attending the school. "And if that is not enough, the name is proof."

Pause.

"No, I did not have to falsify the test results, the boy apparently takes after his father; the transition has already been authorized." A deep voice answered her. "The plan is working flawlessly…" Manicured, bright orange nails ran slowly across the name tag of a specific cubby. _Uchiha Ryouichi._

"Yes, the Hokage is already angsty, she has stepped up her security in the city and our Intel said that she has been made aware of our arrival." An ominous ring rested on her middle finger, the sign for 'white' etched into the stone.

"I will be leaving this position and returning to base. I have already been seen by the party in question and we need to regro-" Another pause.

The woman's voice began to reflect her concern, "You cannot do that. You have already expended too much. Tell the others wait for me, my mission is already complete." And with that the woman briskly shut her phone and ripped the name tag off the cubby.

OoOoOoOoO

School was out for the weekend and Hinata was finally allowed to spend a free Sunday with Ryouichi.

She had wanted to make the best of it and take him to the park, but he had insisted they go to the library so he could study up for his new school. Hinata was proud, she was positive of that, but she couldn't help but feel a little flaked.

So Hinata had resorted to finishing up homework as her son sat next to her with a ten ton math book in his lap, studying hard and contently.

It seemed the boy had taken the life change in stride, no longer focused on trying to change the fact that he would be going to Konoha Elementary but more on trying to make it the best experience. Hinata sighed as she finished her homework and just watched him furiously write in his little notebook. The whole day had already gone by, they were waiting at the doors at eight in the morning for the library to open and it was already nine forty-five at night, fifteen minutes to closing.

As the librarian told everyone in the library this over the intercom, Ryouichi turned to his mother. "Okaa-san can we take the books home? I'm not done studying…" Hinata laughed and ruffled his hair.

"You're not done studying…? We've been here all day!" She picked up the books he had asked for and waited for him to get his stuff together before walking to the check-out line. "You know most kids your age would be outside playing, but you want to stay in the library and study all day….I don't understand you at all." Ryouichi frowned at his mom. "But I am very proud of you for taking the initiative." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Wow that's a lot of really big books!" The librarian conversed as she began to ring them up. "Is your sister trying to torture you?" The librarian smiled at Ryouichi and Hinata laughed at the joke, not bothering to correct the librarian.

Ryouichi simmered. "My Okaa-san isn't trying to torture me. I got the books myself!" And the librarian looked slightly embarrassed as did Hinata.

"Ryouichi!" She gave him a look and he pouted.

"Sorry…." He mumbled, looking to the side.

Hinata then turned to the librarian, "I'm very s-sorry, h-he is very…prideful." And the librarian nodded, still kind of in shock.

"I'm sorry little guy, I didn't mean to assume…"

Ryouichi opened his mouth to tell the lady what he thought about her use of adjectives, but his mother rushing to push him towards the door, books in her hand. "Thank you and have a g-good night!" His mother called after them and rushed them outside.

"Ryouichi! Why are you trying to pick fights with people who don't mean anything by what they say…?" Hinata sighed and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. "I don't know what to do with you sometimes…"

Ryouichi stared at the ground, a perpetual frown adorning his features. "I'm sorry Okaa-san…"

Hinata sighed again and then put on a small smile and pat his head. "It's okay, just promise you will work on it." Ryouichi nodded dutifully. "Good."

Hinata submerged herself in her thoughts as the two of them walked home in the dark, hand in hand.

Ryouichi was so much like his father it was borderline ironic. Ironic that that very father didn't believe they were related.

A part of her prayed that the paternity test (though she knew Sasuke was the father) would say otherwise. Although she knew that Ryouichi wanted a father almost as much as he loved her, maybe even more so, the fact of the matter was Sasuke would probably be the worst father imaginable seeing as he didn't want anything to do with them.

Then the two of them could go back to normal and not have this awkward stage between them. It was like they were at a neutral standing; they didn't speak of it so it didn't impede their daily life but they both knew it was there and festering away.

But Hinata didn't know how else to approach the subject than to just let it run its course. How could she explain it to him? She was only a little girl herself in society's standards; she didn't know how to mother in that sense.

She wondered though: what did Ryouichi think about all of this?

As she opened the door and let them into their small apartment, Hinata resigned herself to the fact that she had a mysterious son who would probably never tell her what he thought.

They set their stuff down on the table and Hinata got around to turning on the lights and starting dinner.

After dinner was made and eaten, Ryouichi got her attention.

"Okaa-san, there's a message on the phone." Ryouichi pointed to their phone, and just like he had said, the red light flashed at an uneven tempo. They looked at each other in confusion for a moment and Hinata slowly got up and walked over to listen to it.

They both thought the same thing; _No one ever leaves messages on our phone…_

"_You have one message:"_ Hinata tilted her head, anticipating the next few words. "Hinata-chan! Call me back as soon as you can, the paternity test results are in! Oh, this is Tsunade by the way, don't forget to call me back! _End of messages._"

Hinata couldn't bring herself to move as the machine quieted. The Paternity test was in already…she would get her answer of whether Sasuke was Ryouichi's father and he would ultimately have to integrate into their life.

He would have to become a part of Ryouichi's life.

That mere thought was enough to startle Hinata out of her reverie and she rushed back to the phone to and hurriedly typed in the caller ID number in. Right as she was about to press talk though, Ryouichi decided to speak.

"Okaa-san, what did she mean by the paternity test was in?" Hinata turned to Ryouichi and her eyes softened as she realized she hadn't told Ryouichi about Sasuke deciding to take the test.

She beckoned him to her and as she sat on the ground, he promptly settled himself in her lap.

"You remember what Tsunade-sama said about a paternity test?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to tell you who your Otou-san is." Ryouichi instantly replied.

Hinata nodded and smiled gently. "Exactly right Ryouichi." Then the smile dropped and she could no longer deny the truth to herself as she explained it to Ryouichi. "You know that man that was in Tsunade-sama's room with us? Your father…?"

Ryouichi's features darkened.

"He's not my father. My father wouldn't make Okaa-san cry." Ryouichi crossed is arms and pouted.

Hinata closed her eyes and sighed. "Ryouichi, sometimes what we want to be and what's reality can end up a little bit different." She continued to implore. "I'm sorry Ryouichi, but no matter what you say, even though you'd like to believe better he is your father; and he agreed to take the paternity test."

Hinata had expected him to throw a fit, yell, scream, or even deny that any of this was real. She didn't expect him to sit up, a huge smile on his face.

"Ne, ne Okaa-san." Ryouichi tugged at her sleeve even though he already had her undivided attention. "If he takes the test, then just like there is a chance he is my father, there is also a possibility that he won't be my father! It could go both ways!" Hinata's eyes widened at his thought process. _I fear the damage is already done…Ryouichi is cutting himself off…_

Knowing better than to deny her son his moment of peace, Hinata nodded. "Yeah, that could happen, though it may not be likely…"

"It's okay Okaa-san! Everything will be fine and then we can go back to finding my real Otou-san." Ryouichi smiled and ran out of the room in a chipper mood.

Hinata let her head fall again the cool wall and sighed for what seemed the billionth time. She forcibly pressed the 'End' button on the phone.

She would leave the phone call for the morning.

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke had replayed the message four times before it sunk in.

"_Sasuke, this is Tsunade. The results are in for the Paternity test, call me back as soon as you can."_

The. Results. Were. In.

That meant that regardless of what the test said, he would end up in one of two scenarios.

The first (And better of the two options in his opinion), went about something like this: He goes to find the results of the test, Tsunade regrettably tells him that in fact he is _not _the father of this illegitimate child and he gets to rub it in that Hyuuga prick's face as he walks out the door with nothing to worry about other than if he's going to get laid that night or not.

The second scenario started off the same as the first, with him finding out the results of the test, but then Tsunade triumphantly tells him that he is in fact the father of that kid. Which would mean first, he _did it_ with the Hyuuga. Two, that he would have to follow accordance with the contract he stupidly signed on a whim and have to be a part of the kid's third, he would have to deal with the fact that he was very, very wrong about not being the kid's father; in which case, his adamant, snobbish attitude would only be cause for ridicule.

Nope, not very good chances in his case.

He had resigned to calling Tsunade back (which hadn't been a very pleasant conversation to say the least) and she had given him specific instructions to go to her office first thing in the morning.

He had asked if the kid, Raichu or whatever, was going to be there as they heard the results but Tsunade had only said she hadn't gotten into contact with Hinata yet.

Well hopefully she never did and this nightmare would end.

Honestly he was pretty confident in his argument and case. He was pretty sure he wasn't the father. But with each ticking minute, his resolve was crumbling; he started to wonder if he really had slipped up, if somehow this child was his. This whole _thing_ was eating at him from the inside out and he couldn't wait until he was left to his own devices.

_It won't be long…_

For a man who did not believe in god, all he could do was pray.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata had just gotten Ryouichi's lunch packed when she heard a loud pounding on the door.

Rushing to make her hair as presentable as possible (she hadn't gotten to it quite yet) Hinata ran to the door and jerked it open as the pounding got increasingly flustered.

She wanted to say 'Déjà vu' but knew she would only slap her own head in embarrassment if she said it.

Five men in white animal print masks and stark crisp black on black suits peered back at her.

"Hyuuga-sama, as always it's a pleasure to see you bright and early." It seemed the men thought they were friends or something after their last rude and abrupt 'good morning'. Hinata could have scoffed if she wasn't as kind as she was.

"Uh, s-same to…you…?"

"Tsunade-sama apologizes for the early morning visits but she couldn't get a hold of you last night and you know how she is…"

"Hai, hai. I-is this a-about the t-test…?"

"I am sorry Hyuuga-sama but we've been instructed not to divulge that information." He stepped to the side and presented one of the other men with the mask of a cat. "We have brought an attendee for Ryouichi-sama if he would like to get headed towards school."

Hinata's eyes widened as she realized this would impede on her attending her son's first day of school at Konoha elementary. "Ano, it's h-his first d-day of school…I w-was planning o-on seeing him off…"

"We assumed that, but this is too important for you to miss out on, this is why we have already provided services for him to get to school. Do not fear, we will make sure he is properly settled before leaving the school if it soothes you any."

Ryouichi tugged on Hinata's skirt, his backpack already packed and on his shoulders. "Okaa-san its okay, I'm going to go to school with them, you can go with me tomorrow." He gave her a small smile and she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"If you think so Ryouichi…"

"I know so Okaa-san, I'll be fine."

The leader nodded and bowed as did the rest of the group. "This way Ryouichi-sama." The man with the mask of a cat responded gently and Ryouichi followed him out the door and towards one of two cars waiting down below.

The leader turned back to Hinata. "Now if you are ready Hyuuga-sama we can head out. Tsunade-sama is very anxious as to the results of the Paternity test."

"Y-you mean s-she hasn't seen i-it yet?" Hinata conversed as she pulled on her shoes, checked the house one last time and walked out of the door her bag in hand.

"Ie, she thought it wouldn't be fair for her to know the results before the people it pertained to most. Not only that, but Uchiha-sama is of legal age even if you are not; Tsunade-sama could not legally look at the results even if she had wanted to." Hinata nodded in understanding as the group proceeded to the car awaiting them.

The drive over to the school felt like it took forever. Hinata was positively shaking by the time they stopped at the front doors, her heart pounding a mile a minute. She didn't know what to expect.

Would Sasuke accept it if he was the father?

Would the test say that he wasn't?

There were so many ways the outcome could go and it didn't help that Sasuke was just as unpredictable as the results.

Maybe she should have just taken the day off and not even bothered getting out of bed.

The Leader of the ANBU slipped out of the car and held the door open for Hinata, who graciously thanked him for the effort. As soon as she stepped out, she was whisked away towards Tsunade's office; ANBU flanking her on all sides.

When they entered the room, Hinata was surprised to find Tsunade and Sasuke already seated in their respective spots and looking towards them; she had made them wait. A blush stained her cheeks.

"Hinata-chan!" Tsunade sounded very…enthused to see her, just like on the phone. "Why didn't you call me back?" She sounded truly concerned and slightly upset by that fact. Hinata's blush grew and she stared shamefully at her feet.

"I'm r-really sorry T-Tsunade-sama…"

"Oh, it's quite alright, come sit and we'll begin." She smiled gently as she beckoned Hinata over. "The rest of you are dismissed."

"Hai Tsunade-sama." The men chimed simultaneously and left the room.

Tsunade turned to the two teens before her, both of which were looking at one another apprehensively.

Well, more like Sasuke was glaring daggers at Hinata and she was in turn meekly wilting under his watchful stare. Tsunade cleared her throat and got the two teens attentions. Hinata looked more than grateful for her interruption.

"Well, this is a fine day indeed," Sasuke scoffed and Tsunade growled low in her throat. She smiled again and continued. "I personally never thought we would progress this far this fast. I must commend the both of you. However," She gave Sasuke a look. "Today is 'D-day' so to speak. This is the day that we finally find out if Uchiha Sasuke is the father of Hyuuga Hinata's child, Uchiha Ryouichi."

Tsunade bent over and opened her drawer, producing a manila folder and the contract Sasuke had signed just last week. "So if we can just go over the details of the contract we can then get on to the important test resu-"

"Tsunade-sama if you don't mind my being frank," Sasuke's face contradicted the respect of his words. He did not look sorry in the least. "I swear that I will do everything detailed in that stupid contract, can we just get to the results?" Tsunade smirked.

"Fine, are you okay with that Hinata-chan?" The two of them looked at her expectantly.

Hinata could only nod her head mutely. She wondered where her voice went.

Tsunade took a deep breath and lifted up the manila folder. "Okay then, here we go."

Hinata's heart was positively pounding in her chest. She felt a rising wave of panic in her system and prayed to whatever higher being was watching over her to not hurt Ryouichi.

Sasuke couldn't help but lean forward in his seat, almost as if doing so would give him a sneak peek. His hands were sweaty and his usually calm demeanor had totally dissipated. He kept wiping his sweaty palms on his pants as if it would somehow take away his nervousness.

Tsunade kept her face professionally neutral; she had to slow her hands from feverently ripping into the folder. She lifted the Diagnostic Report and read it calmly, lifting the other papers out as well and reviewing them with furrowed brows.

Sasuke thought maybe, just maybe, he had this one in the bag.

And then Tsunade spoke.

A smile spread across her face, a smile Sasuke only knew too well.

He had lost. "Uchiha Sasuke is Ryouichi's father!" Tsunade said brightly, standing up in her win.

Hinata looked totally terrified as her eyes went back and forth between Sasuke and Tsunade. "W-wha…?"

Sasuke grit his teeth and positively seethed in his seat, hands fisted tightly in his lap.

"A-ano, maybe i-it's w-wrong…" Hinata mumbled, glancing at Sasuke as if to reassure him, but her voice wavered as if she were trying to steady herself. Tsunade's eyes locked on her small frame and softened in sympathy. It was a lot to take in. Hinata would have a long and arduous task ahead of her, grooming Uchiha Sasuke into a father…just the thought was enough to make her want to give up, what about the girl who was most insecure?

"I can't believe this…" Was all Sasuke could say. Tsunade started to worry.

"Sasuke remember you signed the contract, I can legally take you to court if you fail to adhere to the content within an-"

"Oh shut it." Sasuke hissed, giving the surprised Godaime a glare that could kill. "I'm a man of my word." And with that he stood and quickly swept out of the room.

Hinata watched after him, a growing sense of dread in her heart. How would she put up with him…?

Tsunade watched Hinata's crestfallen face with a somber mood. "Hinata-chan." She called softly, and the girl turned to her as if she'd been slapped.

Tsunade sighed. "Hinata-chan, I'm sorry for doing this to you but believe me when I say this, this is so much bigger than just Ryouichi. The whole Konoha rests on your interaction with Sasuke." Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "I know that's a lot to take in, and there's not much I can say about the matter but I can tell you this: You have to be strong. Not only for you, not only for your son, but thousands of people." Hinata nodded mutely, unable to process anything anymore.

"Hinata-chan, thank you for being so strong even in the face of adversity." Tsunade lay her hand over Hinata's. "You can take the rest of the day off if you'd like."

Hinata did not make eye contact but she nodded her consent.

OoOoOoOoO

He had done it with Hyuuga Hinata.

_He _had done it with Hyuuga Hinata.

He had done _it _with Hyuuga Hinata.

He had done it with _Hyuuga Hinata._

And he had a son!

The thought was almost too much to fathom, but he knew he could no longer deny it.

Even if the test had been wrong and he wasn't really the father, Tsunade had caught him in a trap. He had already signed the contract so the Paternity test results would only help in a case against him if worst came to worst and he tried to battle this.

His only option was to just deal with whatever the hell those women made he do.

Deep down inside though, he was pretty sure he was the father of that child.

It all made sense.

He was sexually active even at that time so he couldn't use that as an excuse. The boy looked exactly like him; strike two. And, he had dodged bad luck in that area this far, how much longer could he play with fire without getting burned?

_One hell of a burn though._

It was still really hard to get over though. Sasuke sighed deeply as he stared at the ground in thought.

He was just going to have to deal with it.

Or he could do just like he always did: make it so they don't want to have anything to do with him.

It worked every other time, everyone had always given up on him. So he could just use the same trick here and get away from all of this 'kid' crap.

He could go back to living his carefree life.

_Why was I ever intrigued by that Hyuuga wench…?_

Sasuke was suddenly reminded of the first day of school and how she had caught his eye. Back then he had no idea what was in store for him. If he could go back and tell past-Sasuke to stay away from that girl, he definitely would have.

Now he was stuck.

Though it wasn't really her fault; she didn't try to get him involved, she was the only one he could think of to blame.

It was her fault that she didn't have birth control, or that she got pregnant at twelve or whatever. Back then he hadn't had to worry about contraceptives or more like he didn't know to worry about those things. It hadn't mattered anyways the girls he was with usually knew what to do or hadn't gone through puberty yet.

Now? He knew better than that. He always carried a condom in his wallet just in case, but that didn't help four years later did it?

_Everything will be fine if I just stay true to myself._

But he had lost himself long ago.

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_Okay! So it's finally starting to get to the good stuff! Now it will all be fun and dramatic lol. Next chapter will be the first encounter with Ryouichi and Sasuke. Hmmm….so the plot thickens…anyone guess who the lady was at the beginning? I've been hinting at her throughout the story so far. Almost all characters will be making an appearance in this story if it goes the way I want it to. (Though it almost never does…) and that is including plots among the actual Naruto storyline, but a little twisted to accompany this AU. Also, the characters that come in here will be the way they act in the Naruto show and Manga. So no, Itachi is not going to suddenly be nice and become a part of their little 'family' and Deidara will not be having a three way with Ino and Sakura. O.O Yay progress! Until Next time,_

_Trinity Effect_

_P.S.- If you haven't already, take a look at my other story "Libido", I'd still like to know what you guys think :)_


	11. Chapter Eleven:Slamming Doors

_Ugh I'm sorry if this sucks, but I really had trouble getting it out as soon as I could...:/ I am probably going to update this one again before I go back to 'Libido' just because it's kind of rushed and I want to get the story to keep going because I cut it off at a crucial part but if I didn't it would keep going...and I want to devote a whole chapter to the next scene. Sorry for the long wait...I'm just super stressed out. Lmao. Reviewing keeps me motivated though :)_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

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**Chapter Eleven: Slamming Doors are Never Fun**

Hinata had mulled over it all night, to the point of not going to sleep until ten minutes before the alarm went off to start the day.

How would she tell Ryouichi that Sasuke was really his father? That he would now be a part of their life –his life- and would begin to take the roll of his father?

Two weeks ago Ryouichi would have been so happy to have finally found his father but if she knew one thing about her son it was that he was as stubborn as that very man.

He would not accept Uchiha Sasuke as his father.

She had gone home in a stupor after the news had been handed to her and she just couldn't make sense of it all. Sure she knew he was the father of her child since day one, but now that _he _knew and couldn't deny the proof before them, she didn't know what would happen next.

How would they be able to assimilate him into their life?

Not only that but would he be willing to be a part of it?

Hinata mentally hit herself as she asked herself that. Of course he wouldn't be willing, just like he had made such a huge fuss just to get the paternity test done.

God she already felt light headed just thinking about having to deal with the two stubborn males. She just knew she would have to be the go between and the neutral barrier between her son and his father.

She loved her son and only wanted what was best for him, she didn't know if Sasuke was the right decision for him. He was reckless, rude, brash, stubborn, stoic and all of the things she didn't want her son exposed to.

It was this one thought that kept her up all night.

"Hinata are you okay…?" Kiba asked gently as she sat down next to him and took at deep breath. She turned and smiled at her friend who was presently rushing to finish homework due that day.

"I'm fine Kiba-kun, thank you for a-asking." She blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She leaned over to see what he was working on and pointed to one of the questions. "Ano, the answer to number five is B, monocot not xylem."

Kiba rubbed the back of his head in confusion and laughed in embarrassment. "Ah, really…? Thanks…" He moved to correct the error.

"You should do your homework on a regular basis not right b-before c-class." Hinata admonished lightly.

Kiba pouted. "I was having too much fun at the vet clinic. Oh that reminds me!" Kiba reached for his bag and dug around for a few moments before pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to her.

Hinata looked down at it to read before looking to him for an explanation. "It's a party!" He exclaimed happily and Hinata's brows raised. "Well…not really a party it's more like a get together. Just you, me, Tenten and the other losers." Hinata gave him a look at his choice of description but she was met with an eye roll.

"It looks pretty festive for a get together…" Hinata commented as she looked over the pretty yellow paper with balloons and an address printed on its front.

Kiba laughed. "I told Tenten she didn't need to make all this stuff, but it was because she wanted to make sure you would make it. She thought if you had an invitation your parents would let you go." Hinata's spirits fell at the mention of parents. That wasn't why she couldn't go. "So what do you say?"

Hinata gave him a small smile. "I'll try my best." He nodded and went back to his work.

"By the way, Tenten will definitely say something during lunch, just be prepared." Kiba warned Hinata as their classmates filed in for Homeroom.

They both shared a knowing smile.

OoOoOoOoO

It was surprisingly normal, sitting next to Hyuuga Hinata.

If he tuned his mind out it was almost as if everything were fine.

Homeroom went without a hitch. Kurenai passed out papers and the only contact he had had with her was passing the assignment down to her which he did without even looking in her direction.

He guessed he should be thankful she allowed him to live in his little happy bubble where he hadn't been hit with the biggest bombshell of his life. If it had been any other woman he was positive the news would be out and she would be trying to extort something out of him.

_Wow I really did choose the perfect girl to impregnate…_Sasuke thought dryly to himself as he listened to the announcements for the day.

He had yet to look in her direction and he didn't plan on doing so anytime soon. If he did all he would see was mockery in her eyes. She stood for everything he didn't want to be a part of.

When the bell rang for chemistry Sasuke made an excuse to make a trip to his locker just so that he wouldn't have to get to class early and interact with her. He hated this beating around the bush and hiding from her but he had no other choice.

She held his deepest secrets and for a man who was usually one step ahead of his opponents, he had no experience with the swapping of roles. All he could do was be prisoner to her whim. It was just so frustrating and ironic that she had done absolutely nothing to make him pay. He couldn't pin her down, she was too confusing and did everything he didn't expect her to.

The minute bell rang and he high tailed it to his chemistry class. Though he often took his sweet time to get to class, he didn't think he could deal with another altercation without just imploding on the spot.

Kabuto started off the class with a lecture on acids and bases before relinquishing the reins to his students to continue their labs. Hinata and Sasuke just looked off in different directions, Hinata sitting on a stool on one end of the table and Sasuke standing at the other end.

Oh the woes of being better than average and finishing in advance.

"Sasuke, Hinata." Kabuto called to the motionless lab partners. They both looked up at their teacher. "If you two don't mind could you come help me over here in the storage room?"

"H-hai Kabuto-sensei." Hinata slipped down from her perch and stood stark still three feet from Sasuke, waiting for him to pass before walking behind him at a slower pace, head bowed.

Kabuto, not noticing the awkwardness between the two teens wasted no time in using his prized students. "Okay you two. I would really appreciate it if you," He pointed to Sasuke and handed him masking tape and a sharpie. "Use the masking tape to re-label all of the chemicals and jars in here. Please write down the material, the expiration date and today's date. If something has expired please throw it away." He handed Hinata a pen and clipboard. "You Hinata, please keep inventory. Anything he throws away put it down under 'Restock' and anything he keeps place under 'Inventory'." He looked around to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

His alighted as he remembered something. "Oh! By the way you will be getting extra credit for this." He smiled at his students. "And thank you for doing this."

Sasuke wished he had some sort of a weapon to stab into his brain repeatedly. The sharpie was looking pretty good though it was too blunt to do anything than mark his face.

Hinata stood to the side, blushing prettily and fiddling with the pen cap nervously as Sasuke got down to his knees to start on the first bottle of what seemed to be Hydrogen Peroxide. Reading the label, he taped over it and rewrote the information along with the required information his teacher had asked for.

He didn't bother to tell Hinata anything as he replaced the bottle in its place and withdrew its neighbor.

Hinata bit her lip nervously, trying to peer over his shoulder to see what substance he was working with and what exactly he was doing with it; standing on her tippytoes was proving futile.

Mustering up her courage, Hinata ventured gently, "A-ano Uchiha-san…? I c-can't see w-what you have or w-what you a-are doing with i-it."

She was met with silence.

Embarrassed, Hinata stayed quiet for a while after that, helplessly pulling bottles out of the trashcan next to Sasuke in order to write down what he was throwing away and working as fast as possible to read what he placed back on the shelf before he went for another.

Sasuke was slightly surprised at her actions. She didn't even try to compromise with him on the matter, just did the best she could with his little cooperation. To be honest he was starting to feel kind of guilty as the petite girl continued to reach into the trashcan for bottle after bottle. She was having a hard time but made no motion to voice it.

It seemed she was the type to suffer quietly; taking what life gave her and didn't complain. And honestly from his point of view she was dealt a pretty harsh hand of cards, thought that was mostly his fault.

Sasuke shook his head to himself and quickened his pace. Who was he to feel guilty and catch her a break? She should do her job and he would do his. Uchiha Sasuke did not feel sympathy.

He could feel the nervousness running off her in waves. She really did not want to be in this situation with him, that much was for sure and it didn't help that he was truly the father of her child.

What he would give to be out of _that _situation.

_Ten more bottles and I can get out of this situation. Just ten more bottles, just don't speak a word to me._

"U-Uchiha-san." Sasuke almost threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. Almost. He didn't turn towards her but his head tilted towards her ever so slightly. "A-ano…" Through his peripherals he could see she was scuffing her foot awkwardly and her hands wringed the edge of the clipboard, mussing up the paper beneath them.

_Here comes the sob story…she built her confidence up enough to try and win me over._

"Uhm…uh, well…" He wasn't going to help her out and initiate the conversation. She quieted and he breathed an imaginary sigh of relief.

"U-Uchiha-san I'm sorry for w-what you've had to d-deal with t-these p-past few w-weeks!" She suddenly blurted out, and blushing as soon as she realized she did so. Sasuke stiffened.

Quieting profoundly, she continued. "A-ano, I only m-mean to s-say that I d-don't expect y-you to want to have anything t-to do with u-us…." She looked down and Sasuke replaced a bottle. _One more…_ "I j-just wanted to s-say that I would r-respect that a-and I am o-okay with that." Sasuke eyes widened and he almost missed the shelf when he tried to replace the bottle. "I…I don't want to inconvenience you." She looked up at him, a determined expression in her eyes and a small smiled on her lips.

Sasuke stood and swept out of the room, not a word spoken to her in return.

She had done exactly as he had assumed…but she had done it in a totally different aspect than he had thought.

OoOoOoOoO

"Hinata! Hinata!" Kiba and Hinata shared a knowing smile as they made their way to their usual table, their bun-haired friend beckoning exuberantly.

"Hi Tenten-chan, how are you?" Hinata questioned gently, happy to be in the presence of people who liked her.

"Oh don't worry about how I am! So did you get the invitation? Or did Kiba just ruin it again like usual?" She turned to glare daggers at Kiba. Kiba glared back.

"Hey I didn't ruin anything! See if I ever do anything for you again!" He huffed and crossed his arms.

Hinata watched the altercation in front of her and blushed feeling slightly responsible. She pulled out the invitation from her bag. "Kiba-kun didn't ruin anything I promise Tenten-chan!" Kiba shot her a thankful look.

"See Tenten, I demand an apology!" Kiba pointed at Tenten accusingly. She scoffed and waved him off.

"Wait until never."

"What did you say?"

"That you're an idiot!"

"You didn't say that and you take that back!"

"Why should I everyone knows it's true anyways."

"You are the most obnoxious woman I have ever met!"

"That's funny that you would say that after living with your mom…"

"Are you talking about my mother?"

"Maybe I am!"

"Ano guys…?" Hinata called gently.

"What?" The two screamed in her direction and instantly stopped as the realized it was Hinata.

"Oh Hinata-chan I'm so sorry!" Tenten gushed and hugged her friend who seemed to be petrified in her spot.

Kiba rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "So _now_ you apologize…"

Tenten glared at him again. "Yes! Because it's my Hinata-chan I'm apologizing to!" She hugged Hinata's face to her chest and Hinata gasped at the proximity and blush cherry red.

Kiba chuckled and pointed to the hyperventilating girl. "You probably want to let go of your precious 'Hinata-chan' before you kill her."

"Oh no Hinata-chan!" Tenten shook her friend, forcing her to regain consciousness.

"I'm okay Tenten-chan…" Hinata gulped and smiled stiffly, blushing.

Tenten pretended to wipe sweat off her brow. "Whew!" She turned back to Hinata and fixed her with a look before she whispered. "So did you get it…?"

Hinata looked at her in slight confusion and Kiba cleared his throat. "Oh! Yes Kiba-kun gave me the i-invitation." Hinata rushed to pull it out of her bag to prove the fact.

Tenten clapped her hands and grinned. "Yay! Okay so you can show that to your parents as proof and they'll have to let you come to the party!" Hinata's brows crashed down for a moment and Kiba's eyes searched her face. She had done that earlier too.

Hinata shook her head and looked up at her brunette friend and grinned. "I'll see what I can do."

Tenten cheered and tackled the mousy girl. "That's my girl!"

As their other friends approached the table and conversations floated around her, Hinata could only feel her heart swell with guilt.

There was no possible way she could go to Tenten's get-together. It just wasn't in her ability; she had no parents to beg.

Hinata just tuned into the conversation to hear Tenten exclaim excitedly. "Yeah and Hinata-chan said she could go and we're going to have lots of food and stuff. My parents said we could have the whole house to ourselves! Hinata-chan is going to sleepover and we'll do our make-up and talk about girly things you guys know nothing of an-"

"I s-said I would see what I would do Tenten-chan! I'm still not sure I can go," Deciding not to give her friend false hope, Hinata continued. "To be honest the chances of me being able to go are really really small…"

Tenten looked put out as Hinata voiced the truth and she sighed sadly into her sandwich. "Okay…"

The guys looked at one another, not sure what to do.

"How troublesome…Tenten it'll be fine we'll hang out all of us one of these days. It's not Hinata's fault if her family are tyrants." He clapped her on the back and Tenten coughed at the force. "Sorry…" Shikamaru mumbled.

"We have youth on our side; we have many years to do the hanging out!" Rock Lee added with a fist pump.

Hinata blushed and looked away from the group, feeling terrible. "It's okay if you can't go Hinata-chan, I understand." Tenten voiced and Hinata's head snapped to her friend.

"R-really…?"

Tenten nodded and smiled. "Yeah I was overreacting anyways."

Hinata smiled back at her friend but her eyes caught something behind the brunette and confusion filled her eyes. Seeing the change in her friend's eyes, Tenten turned hesitantly to see what had gotten Hinata's attention.

"H-hey guys…" They halted their conversation and turned to the two girls. "Have you ever seen Tsunade-sama come down for lunch…?" Tenten asked. The guys shook their heads, just as confused at the blond woman's actions. She was standing against a tree presumably talking to a couple of kids that were standing not too far off from them.

But Tsunade's eyes were glued to their table, a smirk on her face as she realized the group had noticed her. She saluted them mockingly.

They all turned around quickly, pretending to be preoccupied with their food. "What if she caught us for doing something wrong?" Kiba hissed quietly.

"I only copied Shino's homework once I swear!" Tenten lamented in a panic.

"I don't believe that's what she's so intrigued about. It seemed like she was watching Hinata." Shino voiced. Hinata's eyes lighted with interest and she turned to sneak a look.

Tsunade pushed away from the base of the tree and began walking at a leisurely pace back to her office. However, as she walked by she turned to Hinata and gave her a smile that only filled her with dread.

OoOoOoOoO

As Hinata stretched for gym, all she could do was think about Tsunade's cryptic smile.

Like usual she was the first girl to get dressed and as such she had nothing better to do but think. God how she wished she was like every other girl…

Naruto and Sasuke walked out of the locker room and stilled upon seeing her. "Hey Hinata-chan!" Naruto started jogging towards her and Hinata looked up from her toe-touching stretch, blushing. Sasuke stayed back for a few moments but then not wanting to stretch alone, rolled his eyes and followed Naruto.

"Do you mind if we stretch with you?" Naruto asked sweetly, a huge smile on his face. Hinata shook her head to say no and with a quick glance to Sasuke, bent over again.

There was an awkward silence, of which Naruto couldn't fathom. "So Hinata-chan, do you know what we're doing in gym today?" Sasuke elbowed him in the gut and Naruto coughed awkwardly, holding his side. Hinata gave them a strange look before answering quietly.

"Y-yeah, we're w-working o-out." Hinata stood and bounced on the balls of her feet a few times, her ponytail bobbing along with her. She pointed to the posters Gai-sensei was taping up all around the room and the different equipment placed underneath them. "We h-have to go t-to our stations and r-rotate around." As soon as she finished explaining Hinata positively ran towards one of the stations and waited for the rest of her class.

Naruto looked to Sasuke in confusion but the dark-haired man just ignored him and took his place at a station. Naruto shrugged and followed.

"Okay class!" Gai-sensei began with a high kick into the splits. "Today we're doing the fabulous 'Stations Workout'! The faster you go the sooner you get to leave!"

The students chattered with excitement at the prospect. "Okay my marvelous students, make me proud!" And the students started on their group stations.

Hinata took this on with reckless abandon; she had the energy to spare.

Why did Tsunade have a sudden fascination with eavesdropping on her students? It wasn't like they had any Intel on the next invasion of Konoha or something…

She went through the fifty reps of the jump rope, then on to chin ups, pushups, anacondas, sprints, weights, the punching bag, wall sits, curls ups, the plank, ultimate Frisbee, and finally extreme volleyball; with a five foot in diameter, rainbow colored volleyball.

After the allotted two turns per station, Hinata ran to the middle of the gym floor and collapsed with fatigue and satisfaction. The workout had done wonders for her buzzing head.

Sasuke grit his teeth as yet again he was beaten by Hinata. It was so frustrating; weren't women who were pregnant supposed to be slow or something?

Sasuke was glued onto her small frame as a courier brought a message to Gai-sensei, who pointed out the shy brunette. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the boy reached his desired target and handed her a summons to the principal's office. Eyes wide in surprise, Hinata took the message, bowed her thanks to the courier (who blushed to Sasuke's chagrin) and with a quick glance at her surroundings ran off to the locker rooms.

Now Sasuke was starting to get suspicious as he rushed to finish. A call to the office meant only one thing; Tsunade was up to something.

And knowing her, she would destroy his life yet again.

Finally finishing his lap around the gym, Sasuke jogged off to the locker room without so much as a glance to the teacher. He rushed to change and get out before the fan girls started doing creepy things.

Hinata was very apprehensive as she nodded to the secretary and flashed her note before ducking into the waiting room. Heaving a sigh, Hinata turned around and gasped as a smug Tsunade stood in front of her open office door and beckoned her with a finger.

"Come on in Hinata-chan, our guest will be here any minute." She moved out of the way and motioned for Hinata to move in. "Take a seat, will you?" Hinata nodded mutely, head down, and did as she was told.

Right as Tsunade had offered Hinata a drink from her formidable stash, Sasuke burst through the door with a feral growl and promptly sat himself down next to a startled Hinata.

"Whatever you tell _her,_" Sasuke jerked a rude thumb towards the innocent indigo haired girl. "Is not getting past me." He settled himself in his seat and kicked his legs up onto Tsunade's desk, arms crossed defensively.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and shoved Sasuke's legs off the desk and earned a startled yelp from the indignant man. Tsunade sat in their place before he could replace his feet.

"It's good you're here, I was going to call you up as soon as I had prepped Hinata-chan." Sasuke's eyes narrowed and a sneer drew itself across his face.

"I bet you were, I know what the two of you do to connive in ruining my life." He sent a meek Hinata a glare and she seemed to shrivel up under the heated stare.

Tsunade rolled her eyes yet again and waved off his accusations. "Whatever, we're here for Hinata-chan this time." She smiled sweetly and Sasuke was starting to realize why he hated sweets so much. "Hinata-chan I hear you've been invited to Tenten's house tonight is that right?" Hinata looked up from her lap hesitantly and glancing quickly at Sasuke –who was looking everywhere except at her- before nodding towards the ground and blushing.

"So? What the hell does some little 'nobody party' have to do with anything?" Hinata withered away some more.

"It has everything to do with _this._" Tsunade motioned towards the whole room. "Hinata-chan has had to cancel every other hang out with her friends because she has to always take care of Ryouichi." Sasuke scoffed.

"Get a babysitter or better yet, _don't get pregnant_." The last part was hissed. Hinata's eyes began to glitter as she raised her hand. Tsunade smiled and nodded towards the shy girl.

"Go ahead Hinata-chan."

"I…uhm, well I d-don't m-mind not g-going out with my f-friends. I l-like taking c-care of Ryouichi…"

Tsunade nodded encouragingly. "That is wonderful Hinata-chan but you're also a teenager and sometimes people need to relax. If adults have a terrible time with it and need a break once in a while to be with other people their age, so do you."

Sasuke smirked and stood, brushing off his pants. "Well you heard her, she likes taking care of the brat, so problem not solved, thank you for wasting my time." He moved to leave like every other time he was in the damned office.

"Sasuke…do you have any…plans tonight?" Sasuke instantly turned around and glared daggers at Tsunade.

"Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say…"

Tsunade smirked and looked at her finger nails demurely. "Think of it as a mission Sasuke, take care of your _son_ for one night, how hard can that be?" Sasuke moved to say something but Tsunade interrupted with a pointed glare in return. "And don't worry, Hinata-chan has covered the first _four years._"

"T-Tsunade-sama I d-don't think I w-would like to do t-this…" Hinata had her hand raised yet again (quite cutely in all honesty) and for the first time Sasuke looked to her in relief. Maybe she wasn't good for nothing…

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan but he signed the paper and he is now under my control." She picked up the contract laying innocently on her desk and pointed to Sasuke's name in black ink. She shrugged as if she could do nothing in the matter. "Sasuke is going to be taking care of Ryouichi tonight, I'm sorry to you Hinata-chan, but not so much for you Sasuke-tan." Sasuke growled at the cutesy nickname.

Looking between the two of them and deeming the matter done, Tsunade handed Hinata a card. "This is Sasuke's address, drop Ryouichi off there at six and pick him up at eleven." Sasuke opened his mouth to argue his privacy rights but he was shushed as Tsunade talked over him. "I have already called Tenten's parents and confirmed you're attending."

Forcing the two of them out of the door, Tsunade smiled. "And Hinata-chan?" She looked up, seeming startled once again into a stupor. "Do have fun." She turned to the slightly bewildered Sasuke and her smile dropped. "You will take Ryouichi and nothing will happen to him or with the powers invested in me as Hokage, I will strip you of your flesh and feed you to the birds. Goodbye now!"

And with that the door was slammed.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata was positively shaking as she got Ryouichi home and got him packed to go to his father's house for the evening. She had broken the news to him and he had taken it considerably well, not even batting an eye and just smiling at her cooly.

"That's okay Okaa-san, you deserve to take a break." He had patted her thigh and walked off to get his overnight bag.

A pillow, blanket, marker and coloring book set and newly minted homework later, the two were ready to go. "Wait one moment Ryouichi!" Hinata called as she ran back into the kitchen and produced a juice pouch and snack wrapped in tin foil. With a small smile she tucked it into his bag. "Just in case you get the munchies." She tickled his tummy and he giggled and pushed her hands away.

"Thanks Okaa-san." Ryouichi looked up at her endearingly and Hinata ruffled his hair affectionately as she moved to open the door to leave.

"Of course sweetheart."

"Hello Hyuuga-sama, Uchiha-sama, if you would please come with us to the car, we'll be on our way to Uchiha-sama senior's house."

Hinata and Ryouichi looked to each other in surprise as if to say 'Is this Déjà vu?'. "A-ano…what?" Hinata mumbled impressively.

Tsunade's ANBU hustled the two of them towards the vehicle parked outside. "I'm sorry Hyuuga-sama but if we are to meet the party deadline by seven we need to move now."

Hinata couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards the mysteriously clad men (they only brought her bad news and bad luck) but she had more pressing things to worry about.

She had literally stated for the first time (indirectly) that Sasuke was indeed Ryouichi's father and he had not even acknowledged the fact. He had only stated that it would benefit her to take a break and spend time with her friends. How did that make any sense when not too long ago Ryouichi was celebrating the chances of Uchiha Sasuke not being his father?

Hinata watched her son as he looked out the car window and kicked his legs in a presumably happy mood. The son was just as much of an enigma as his father.

She felt like she was suffocating on the very air sustaining her. She hadn't even been able to have a normal conversation with the man and now she was expected to leave her child unattended with him? And what made it worse was that Tsunade had actually felt the need to reinforce Ryouichi's safety with a threat towards said man.

How was that supposed to make her feel better about this….arrangement?

The car jerked to a stop as if to mock her and her predicament. "We have arrived Hyuuga-sama, Uchiha-sama." The door was opened and revealed an opulent neighborhood that rivaled the one of her past. The memories came flooding back and they were not nice to say the least.

As they were led to the front doors of the mansion Hinata and Ryouichi could only look on in awe.

The mansion was made to exude elegance and high aristocracy, holding true with renaissance accents. Never had Hinata seen such a western building (as a house no less) in Japan even in her many years as a rich (albeit shy, awkward, mute) socialite. _More like a wallflower…_Hinata mused to herself.

The Uchihas' truly were on par with the Hyuugas' before their untimely demise.

Ryouichi and Hinata shared a look as the group made their way past the huge decorative water fountain set in the center of the circular driveway and up the steps to the house. It only seemed to grow in stature.

One of Tsunade's men rang the door bell and then moved back into the same position as the others.

"Are you ready Ryouichi? You can change your mind at any time…" Hinata fluttered over him her heart pounding at a rate she never knew it could.

Ryouichi rolled his eyes and shifted his bag on his shoulder. "I'm fine Okaa-san, it's only a few hours."

The door finally opened and a slightly ruffled Sasuke showed himself.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded towards Tsunade's men who all addressed him respectfully.

"A-ano, here's Ryouichi…I-I am r-really sorry t-to bother you with this…" Hinata seemed to draw strength from her son's gentle pat on her leg. "A-and uhm well, oh!" Hinata dug into her bag and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I made you this sheet that would help you with anything you would need f-for Ryouichi. See, m-my phone number is right here…" Hinata started to explain every single detail of the three page 'guide' when Sasuke suddenly grabbed Ryouichi and pulled him inside along with the guide.

"Whatever, just be here at eleven." And with that the door was slammed shut.

* * *

_Sorry it's utter crap but I will work towards fixing it lmao. I'm so tired...Anways as usual comments, concerns, reccommendations are all welcome. Also I've stated this before but I wil again, I understand that Hinata's extreme stuttering is a turn off to many of you, because you're right she isn't that shy BUT I need her stuttering to help develop her relationships with different people and use it to show her comfort levels around different characters. Throughout the story as she gains more confidence in herself and her position in life the stuttering will become nonexistent so just hold out a little bit longer okay? And thank you for all the wonderful reviews they fill me up with happiness...:) This story has had more than two thousand visitors in one month! That's amazing please continue to read, and hopefully review and tell me what you think :) Until Next Time,_

_Trinity Effect_


	12. Chapter Twelve: Kryptonite

_Wow, so uhm….hi…? It has been an extremely long time….Let me start off by saying I'm extremely sorry and that, no I did not die. I have officially finished my first year of college. Now you would think now I'm in college, I would be free with less time constraints to write. Since I'm a Cellular and Molecular Biology/Pre-med major, sadly this is not the case. Luckily I have kept my GPA high so far and so my time away from fanfiction was well used, but I have seriously felt terrible almost every single day. I have read and replied every single review I've ever received and I am so sorry this is so long in the making. _

_That being said, it's been a while since I've thought of my stories and as such this chapter quite literally sucks. I want apologize in advanced and I hope you'll over look that for now (editing errors as well as I wanted to just get this out first). I will be updating my other story soon as well. _

_Now I will be finding a job over the summer and taking two summer courses at my university so updates will still be quite periodic during the summer though I will try to get chapters out. Luckily for you guys my boyfriend (he makes fun of me for liking Naruto as he's those Abercombie wearing whitey boys, the types that never understand us anime fans) supports my writing for fanfiction (apparently it destresses me and I'm easier to deal with during the college season as I tend to get high strung with stress and etc.) and said he would help me set up a schedule of some sort so that I can incorporate writing into in-session college semesters :). He is the responsible one of us two and so he will keep me on track. Hopefully with these in place, I will get out more than one update per year ;) Again, please excuse the lack of fluidity with my writing and the previous chapters, I'll try to fix it sometime. Please enjoy for now!_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Kryptonite**

"Hinata-chan you made it!" Tenten gushed as she opened the door for the timid girl. "Come on in everyone's already here!"

Hinata nodded and smiled before shyly stepping over the threshold and tucking some hair behind her ear self consciously. Even before Ryouichi she wasn't really the most popular girl in the world so she was walking into uncharted territory.

Tenten didn't give her a chance to squander though. Herding Hinata into her room, Tenten went off on a ranting rampage trying to get Hinata up to date with all the happenings thus far.

Hinata just nodded with a lost expression on her face.

"Hey Hinata!" Kiba called when they entered Tenten's room.

"Sup."

"Hello!"

"…"

"Hi guys…." Hinata mumbled, suddenly very shy.

"Hey where's Choji?" Tenten looked around for said person.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Where do you expect? He's in the kitchen scarfing down your food." He pointed to the empty bowls in the middle of the room. "He already destroyed the potato chips."

"I love his youthful exuberance for eating! It's truly awe inspiring!" Lee cried out.

Tenten deadpanned, "Don't encourage him Lee." And she went off to find Choji.

Kiba grinned at Hinata and patted the floor next to him. "Come on Hinata we were just talking about this year's school trip."

Hinata's eyes lit with interest as she sat down beside her friend. "School…trip?"

"Yeah, every year each grade gets to go on a school trip." Kiba replied, handing Hinata candy as he spoke.

"Yeah! And since we are seniors this year, all of us get to go on an amazing trip of youth!" Lee exclaimed and Kiba rolled his eyes at him.

Shikamaru turned to Hinata and elaborated. "Okay so pretty much what happens is every winter break we have a trip that usually pertains to school. The higher the class grade the cooler the trip. Since we're seniors though we get the ultimate trip of all; we get to go somewhere…."

"…Cool!" Tenten exclaimed as she bounced, Choji close behind.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle. "So have they…said where we're going..?"

"Not exactly. Usually there is a drawing, it's a huge event and all the students go to see where we end up going. Its lots of fun and there is really good food there!" Choji spoke around his food. Tenten slapped him upside the head.

"Can't you ever think of anything besides food?"

"But food is so yummy!" Choji shot back.

"Don't start a fight they're always so troublesome…."Shikamaru deadpanned, his head in his hands.

"Fine." Tenten pouted and Hinata giggled. "Well what do you guys want to do?"

"No idea…"

"Whatever you want to."

"Don't care."

"…"

"Uhm, I would like to do what everyone else chooses if that's okay…"

"You guys are no fun!" Tenten cried out indignantly. "We are going to watch a movie then if you guys are so lame. Romantic comedy or Action?"

"I'm leaving right now if it's romantic, just saying…"

OoOoOoOoO

As soon as he slammed the door in Hinata's face, Sasuke walked off to do what he had been doing earlier.

And then he realized he just left a four year old in his foyer.

What the hell was he supposed to do with the child? If he was nice to it, it would be like he was admitting he was the father (which he wasn't!) and yet he wondered if he could go to jail for child abuse or worse yet, the kid would tell his mom that he was treated badly and then he would have to answer to Tsunade…

With an exaggerated sigh of frustration, Sasuke went back to the foyer where the child was waiting.

Upon arriving there, he saw the child had not moved a muscle, standing there facing the door as if it was its savior.

Maybe he should stop calling the kid 'it'…

Probably noticing Sasuke's movement, the child turned around, bag and blanket still in his arms and gave him a blank stare.

Taken back at the similarities between that face and the one he saw in the mirror every morning, Sasuke stuttered out a, "C-come in if you want." And walked into the living room, not caring to see if the child followed him.

Try as he might, the Uchiha could not fight the urge to turn to see if the child had heeded his offer. With a quick glance backwards, (checking the sparse decorations in the room of course not _actually _caring) he saw that the child had positioned himself on the living room sofa, still mute and currently taking out his coloring book.

Unsure of the needs of a child, Sasuke decided to venture, "Hey, kid, do you…need something?"

He was thoroughly ignored.

_If not for his looks, he's definitely related to me by personality…._Sasuke thought grudgingly as he waited for a reply. Deeming he wouldn't get one, he finished with a quick "Just stay there" so that he could at least leave with his pride semi intact.

As soon as his supposed father left, Ryouichi let out a sigh of relief. Even as a child he could feel the awkward tenseness within the air. His father resented his existence it was obvious, but the feeling was mutual. When Ryouichi imagined having a father, he had never expected such a terrible, self-absorbed man to take the role. His mother had often told him that finding his father might not be a good idea and now he knew why.

His father wanted nothing to do with him; his actions had already proven that statement true.

_I only came here to give Okaa-san some time to herself and to scope out my real father. _He was not as disillusioned as to think that Uchiha Sasuke was not his father, it was extremely obvious in the way they both looked and acted. Ryouichi had however, renounced his existence as his father. He now knew the reality.

He only had one _parent_; his mother.

Deciding that sitting and coloring was not on his agenda for the night, Ryouichi slipped down from the couch and proceeded to enter the doorway his father had disappeared into. He found himself in the kitchen, his father reading at the table.

Ryouichi watched intently as his father sighed and ran his hands through his hair, looking over at his laptop and typing quickly before looking back at his book and highlighting something. For little Ryouichi it was easy to imagine that this man he was looking at now, when not yelling or opening his mouth in general, as the father he had dreamt of ever since he realized that his life was missing something.

Sasuke sighed again and rose from the dining table, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water before kicking the door shut without a backwards glance (If he had looked back he would have noticed Ryouichi peering at him from behind the kitchen island) before chugging the whole bottle. He easily threw the bottle into the trashcan across the room.

Ryouichi could only watch in awe. Even though his father was a jerk…he was _cool. _

As his father resumed his seat, a phone rang and fearing being found out, Ryouichi ran back into the living room, throwing himself onto the couch and pretending he had never left his seat.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, a lazy Sasuke looked at the caller id on his cell phone and mulled over picking it up or not. He decided he may as well, the awkwardness and stress he was feeling from having a kid in his house –though he was technically neglecting him- was too much for the teenager to handle.

"Hello?" Sasuke spoke into the receiver.

"Sasuke-kun!" A bubbly Ino replied. "Are you up to anything right now?" Sasuke's eyes darted to the archway leading into the living room and then down at his work.

"Not particularly." Ino squealed in excitement and repeated his words to what he presumed was a third party audience.

After a few more moments of murmuring on the other line of the phone, which frankly was adding to the list of things that were on Sasuke's nerves at the moment, Ino came back onto the line. "Well Sasuke-kun if you aren't doing anything, do you think you want to come to a party at my house? I know its last minute but everyone's already here and it's still early, Sakura invited a whole bunch of people and it's sure to be an awesome party. We already got the drinks!" Oh the temptation of drowning all his troubles in alcohol….

But then he remembered his problem. "I can't I'm….babysitting….?" Sasuke's phrase ended in a slight question as he wasn't too sure what he should call taking care of his legitimate child while his mother went off to have fun.

"Eh? Babysitting?" Ino repeated, slightly confused at the turn of events. "Uh…well, you can bring the kid with you, I mean I'm sure one of us will be sober enough to watch it, I'll volunteer if you really want!" Sasuke thought about it for a few moments. He could get into seriously trouble if he was caught taking the child to a full on _rager_…but as long as the brat kept his mouth shut and he made sure to get back by eleven, it would be fine…

"Can I leave by eleven? That's when the kid's mom is coming to pick him up." Sasuke asked, resigning his answer towards stress relief, damn Tsunade and Hinata to hell.

"Sure! So I take it that's a yes?" Ino asked excitedly.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a bit." And before Ino could reply, Sasuke hung up.

Well it was one thing to decide to go to a party and then to tell others he would be there but it was a whole other story when it came to actually executing his plan. Standing and taking his wallet and keys and making sure he had everything, Sasuke proceeded to walk out into the living room where he had left the child. "Hey." He called the boy's attention who looked up from his book almost too innocently.

Sasuke rubbed the back of his head and looked awkwardly to the side, unsure of how to start the conversation. "So Raichu…"

"It's Ryouichi." The smaller version of him bit out, turning back to his coloring. _Ouch, probably should have started by getting the name right._

"Okay, Ryouichi then." Sasuke noted. "Ryouichi we're going out so get your things ready." The little boy perked up at this and asked curiously,

"Where are we going?"

Sighing and realizing he would have to actually tell the overtly curious child, he decided to keep a shroud of mystery around the destination in order to pike more interest and hopefully get out of the house faster. "It's a secret place that's a lot of fun." And then he remembered exactly where he was taking him. "But you can't tell anyone. Not even your mom." This seemed to do the trick as the kid's eyes filled with hope. _Got this one in the bag._

"Hurry or we'll be late." Sasuke deadpanned, moving towards the front door.

Ryouichi rushed to pack his things and stumbled after his father who did not slow down in the least.

"Ano…" the child started and Sasuke almost yelled in frustration.

"What?" Sasuke snapped a bit and realizing so from the glowering expression he received, Sasuke closed his eyes and then bit out in a gentler tone, "What's wrong now?"

Ryouichi pointed at the car's seats. "I'm not supposed to sit in the front…" But the car was a coupe there were no other seats.

Sasuke's frustration was growing even more. This child just seemed to constantly put up obstacles from him and his stress relieving alcohol. "Don't worry about it; this one time won't hurt just get in already."

Noticing the warning in the adult's tone, Ryouichi hesitantly got into the car and tried to put on his seat belt. It proved too hard for him to manage. Sasuke roughly reached over and pulled the strap over the child and bound him to his seat. "Finally!" Sasuke hissed under his breath.

And with not so much as a word, Sasuke started off, ready for his headache to end.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata could not focus on the movie.

It was a comedy…or maybe horror…or was it action?

She tried her best to have fun and take time for herself, but all she could do was worry about her little boy. It was hard to stay away from what was the norm for her for the past four years of her life. And now that it was gone, she was seriously going through Ryouichi withdrawal.

Her friends had asked her on multiple occasions if she was alright to which she exclaimed (falsely) that she was as cool as a cucumber. She knew they didn't believe it for a second.

Currently she was wedged between Kiba and Tenten, the two of whom had argued over seating arrangements for ten minutes before realizing there were _two_ sides to Hinata. Just thinking about that made Hinata want to giggle.

But giggling would have to wait for another time. It was nine fifteen –well that's what Tenten's Shuriken clock said- and Hinata was trying her best not to count down the seconds to no avail. She just missed Ryouichi too much….

"Hey Hinata, want some more popcorn?" Kiba asked as he procured the bowl of buttery goodness. Hinata nodded feverently and stuffed her mouth full just so she could have something to do and maybe make time go by a little faster. Kiba gave her a funny look and placed the bowl in her lap. "If you wanted it that bad you could have just said so you don't have to make yourself look like a chipmunk." Hinata blushed a brilliant red and was grateful the lights were off so no one could tell.

"Shh!" Tenten shushed loudly from the other side of Hinata, her face indignant. "Some of us are trying to watch!" Kiba scoffed and made a face at her.

"Yeah like me, so stop being troublesome you two." Shikamaru drawled from his position on the couch.

"Hey shut it Shikamaru!" Choji mumbled through his fifteenth bag of chips.

"If I wasn't so lazy I would be glaring at you right now." Shikamaru retorted with a yawn as if to prove his point. Choji smirked and nudged his friend.

Tenten turned around and fixed the two with a pointed glare. "Shut it you two!"

"Why I oughta…" Choji started, his fist slamming into his open palm in warning.

"Ano…if everyone is this preoccupied, maybe we should pause the movie…?" Hinata interjected; maybe they could do something that wasn't so dull. She didn't think she could stand sitting still for another moment.

Tenten sighed and nodded. "I guess we can stop it for now. But what else is there to do besides watch a movie?" They all mulled the thought.

"We could watch TV." Shino answered, his eyes unreadable as he was still wearing his sunglasses. Everyone groaned.

"We can do the thrusting of the squats all around the city!" Rock Lee joined in, cheerful as ever.

"I think you mean squat thrusts…don't say it that way it's freaky…." Kiba interrupted, to which Tenten nodded.

"Well what else is there to do then? I'm getting bored." Shikamaru drawled and sat up, cleaning his ear out with his finger.

"Wow Tenten, you finally get us all here and you throw the lamest party ever, good job dropping the baton on that one…" Kiba was hit upside the head by the brunette, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

"Well excuse me! I don't see you trying to entertain anyone at your house!"

"Well that's because if I did my mom would use you all as her attendants at the pet hospital!"

"May I just say that I wouldn't really mind that at all as long as there was food?" Choji raised his hand.

"No!" Both Tenten and Kiba screamed. Kiba, finally realizing what Choji had said smirked and crossed his arms in triumph.

Tenten huffed. "Don't look at me like that what Choji said doesn't mean jack!"

Kiba scoffed. "Hey, I'm sure Jack means a lot to his mom! He doesn't need you to tell him he doesn't mean anything!" Tenten screamed in frustration.

"Ano…maybe we should all just take a break…." Everyone turned to the petite girl who was looking from one person to the next, slightly lost.

Sighing, Tenten broke into a grin and wrapped her arm around Kiba in what seemed like a goodhearted hug between the best of buds. It mostly looked like she was choking the life out of Kiba who was gasping for air. "We just do this for fun Hinata-chan! No harm no foul, ne Kiba?" She growled the last part and Kiba was quick to agree.

"Well I'm getting hungry and Choji just finished off the rest of the food…let's go get Korean Barbeque." Shikamaru stood and stretched out his limbs, kindly offering Hinata a hand which she took gratefully.

"I am getting hungry as well." Shino added. Tenten laughed and nodded.

"Barbeque sounds good and I vote Choji pay because he ate all our food." Everyone chorused their agreements.

"Fine fine, whatever…." Choji sullenly replied as the group went out to enjoy their time together.

_Wow their fighting made time pass quite a bit…._ Hinata couldn't help but giggle at her small group of friends.

OoOoOoOoO

The boy had looked quite frightened when he pushed him through the front door to Ino's house. He looked to _him _of all people for his failing courage.

Even if he may be the father there was no way he would find it here.

The party was in full swing at this point; beer bottles, red Dixie cups and trash littered the floor along with the bodies of the few who could not hold their alcohol well. All in all Sasuke thought it was a pretty good turnout.

Luckily most of the people were too wasted to ask questions about a child being on the premise at such a…inconvenient time.

The child, Ryouichi, he reminded himself, was scared he realized but incredibly brave because he had yet to cry. As Sasuke led him further into the house, he just watched his elders make complete fools out of themselves and could only grimace at the stench of alcohol in the air. Surely this wasn't the place for a child to be but at this point Sasuke couldn't have cared less.

Making his way to the living room where he was sure to find Ino and the rest of the gang, Sasuke heard Naruto greet him first. "Sasuke-teme you made it!" Naruto grinned and waved him over as if Sasuke could not have found them on his own. Sasuke rolled his eyes but moved towards his group.

Remembering at the last minute, Sasuke turned to the little boy behind him and hissed, "Don't forget what I told you in the car." The boy nodded his head solemnly, knowing when not to aggravate an unpredictable person. Sasuke's eyes lingered on the little boy for a little longer before he walked them over to the couch where Naruto was playing video games and stuffing his face with food. Ino was on the other side chatting with Sakura, drinks in their hands.

"Hey Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino chorused at the same time. Sakura seemed to have forgiven him for the episode in Kakashi's class it seemed. He hadn't needed her forgiveness however.

Nodding in reply, Sasuke moved aside to show them his charge that seemed to just stare at the strangers with almost the exact expression as his father.

"Oh. My. God!" Sakura and Ino squealed and instantly descended on the child, hugging and pinching the boy's cheeks with excitement. The boy seemed to take the attention in stride but his scowl told another story. Sasuke almost felt guilty. Almost. "He is the cutest thing I've ever seen! Who is he?"

"My name is Uchiha Ryouichi. I am Sasuke-ojisan's nephew." Ryouichi bit out over the loud music, glaring the whole time. His mother had always told him that lies were bad but here he was lying because his father told him to.

"Wow he looks just like you Sasuke-teme!" Naruto had paused his game to be a part of the conversation.

"Well obviously, we're related." Sasuke deadpanned.

Ino looked up at Sasuke and smiled. "We'll take care of him so you just relax and have a drink or two!" Sasuke nodded and turned to his son.

"Stay here and don't go anywhere. I'll come and get you in a bit." He placed the child on the couch next to Naruto and reiterated to his friend, "Watch him."

"Sure, sure." Naruto waved. "Go drink that stick out of your ass now!"

And Sasuke did just that.

Sasuke had been upstairs doing not so innocent things with another nameless woman when he remembered he had to be home by eleven. At this point he was too drunk to remember why, but he did remember it was very important that he didn't screw this up.

Ceasing his actions with the other woman and literally throwing her off of him, Sasuke proceeded to pull out his cell phone to check the time. _10:15…shit._

He needed to get home in time for whatever he was supposed to be there for…

Sasuke stood, his cell phone falling from his hands as he groped for the door in the dark.

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you going?" The girl of the night whined annoyingly.

"Home!" Sasuke yelled a bit loudly. It wasn't his fault; it felt like his head had been set adrift in the ocean and his ears were waterlogged…

Sasuke managed to stumble down the stairs and leave out of the front door- though it had mocked his inability to open it for quite some time before he remembered which way to turn the knob- in one piece. Looking for his car however had become such an unbearable task that Sasuke had decided to screw it and just walk home. Was his house north of Ino's house or west…?

He had walked for no longer than thirty seconds before he heaved the contents of his stomach in some unfortunate sap's yard. He collapsed on the sidewalk, his head hitting the concrete but only hard enough to jar him from his muddled thoughts a little.

_Shit this was my worst idea yet…_ He thought angrily to himself as the cool pavement soothed his flushed body. If only he could stay there for the rest of the night. He had to get home for something important however…at eleven.

What time was it again?

Willing his tired and worn body to move, Sasuke after much delay finally reached his pants pocket where his phone was usually kept only to find it empty. _Shit again!_

Sasuke forced himself to stand and stumble yet again but this time towards Ino's house. He could not let his fan girls get a hold of his phone…

OoOoOoOoO

Tsunade had been eying her phone all night.

She was just itching to see what the dark haired Uchiha was up to, mostly to make sure he was following directions and taking care of Ryouichi. Kurenai and Hinata's insisting against leaving the child in Sasuke's care had filled a seed of doubt in her heart and she wasn't sure of her choice in the matter; it wouldn't be the first time she made a bad choice in a gamble.

Sighing, Tsunade took off her reading glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose in a futile attempt of relieving the stress in her body. The important documents she had been reading and signing all night would just have to wait; her current turmoil was far more important and disconcerting.

Tsunade turned to the phone yet again, the itch to call becoming too hard to ignore. Turning to see the clock, she found the time to be 10:18. _I should call if only to tell Sasuke he should get Ryouichi ready to go…_

Finally lifting the phone to her ear, the dial tone brought her back to her senses and she replaced the receiver as pride procured its ugly head. No. She needed to do this for Hinata's piece of mind, this wasn't just about her. She lifted the receiver yet again and dialed before she could sabotage herself.

Sighing at her own discourse, Tsunade waited for the ringing to turn into a greeting.

_Ring… Ring... Ring... Ring..._Was the phone ever going to be answered?

Finally Tsunade found purchase as the tone stopped and a distinct voice was heard. "Hello? Sasuke-kun's phone, who am I talking to?" The voice yelled, voice filled with sticky syrup.

When did Sasuke have the voice of a girl?

And when did he address himself in third person? He was a prick but he wasn't _that _self-centered…

"H-Hello? Sasuke?" Tsunade stammered, slightly confused. Wait…was that loud _music_ in the background?

"No this isn't Sasuke-kun, he's uhm…" There was a giggle. "He's _busy_ at the moment."

Tsunade had a sinking feeling as the puzzle pieces started fitting together. "Well do you know where he is, this is important." Tsunade bit out, trying to control her anger.

"Not sure really, he just left Ino's party though I think!" The voice chirped but instantly darkened. "Wait…Are you his girlfriend or something? Because we were totally getting it on if he didn't have to leave all of the sudd-"

Tsunade lost all control as the proof made itself known. "I am Tsunade the god damned principal of Konoha High, now as for you…who the hell are you?"

Tsunade heard a squeal and then the disconnecting tone.

She had officially lost this bet.

Not only had Sasuke been at a party, he had left his phone unattended which was a cause for concern, not to mention he had been canoodling with a woman. Those were not things someone taking care of a child should be doing.

As Tsunade mulled over her thoughts she instantly realized the true gravity of the situation and stood abruptly, dashing for the door. Ryouichi was either at home by himself or at a teenage party with beer and hormonal teenagers galore…

Oh shit.

OoOoOoOoO

As soon as Sasuke entered Ino's house for the second time, the girl he had been with earlier ran up to him and all but shoved his phone in his hands. "Why is Tsunade-sama calling you?" She yelled out accusingly and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and a tiny twinge of fear. He grabbed the girl by her shoulders and hissed,

"Did you pick up the phone?" The girl nodded hesitantly, unsure of which answer to give in order to be in his good graces. "Shit!" Sasuke yelled and pushed her aside as he moved to make a run to his car. Now that the alcohol was no longer in his stomach, the cloudy haze around his memory started to fade.

_Wait…_ He gut was telling him he was forgetting something. He had needed to get home by eleven but he was missing something…what was the reason?

Gripping his head, Sasuke forced himself to remember what exactly it was that he needed to be ready for by eleven. His eyes landed on his phone and a clue presented itself. This was about Tsunade; he knew that…what had she wanted him to do again…? Something about being a father to a child….

_The kid! _Sasuke realized and briskly made his way to the living room where he had disposed of his charge. Hopefully things would not get any worse and he wouldn't have to go through even more hell, if he left with the kid right now he could still make it home in time and tell Tsunade whatever that obnoxious girl had said was nothing but a joke.

As he got closer to his destination his heart began to pound even though he would never admit it. Was it because he was scared of the repercussions that were sure to be in store for him or was it because he seriously had no idea where the child was?

As soon as the couch came into view all he saw was a knocked out Ino snoring on the couch and Naruto leaning against the piece of furniture nursing drink.

Sasuke's heart filled with dread though this time it was for the child. Was he inadvertently the murderer of an innocent boy? Well, not inadvertently but Sasuke would continue to hold his case. Angrily, Sasuke stomped over to his supposed best friend's side.

"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed. Naruto looked up and a dazed smile lit up his face.

"Hey Sasuke! Come have a drink with me!" He patted the ground next to him.

Leaning forward so he could get closer to Naruto in order to relay his seriousness, Sasuke did not know whether to hit his friend or just kill him all together. "What happened to Ryouichi? I told you to God damn watch him!" Naruto looked perplexed for a few moments.

"Ryouichi…? I don't know anyone named tha-" His eyes widened in recognition and then he slumped into his seat further, growing relaxed as he no longer needed to think. "Oh you mean that kid that showed up with you right? Oh he said he was bored so he went to the park." Sasuke growled and grabbed Naruto by the shirt as Naruto voiced his distress at the treatment.

"What the hell do you mean he went to the park?"

"Hey! He asked me if there was one nearby so I gave him the directions to the one in this neighborhood! Now let. Go. Of me!" Naruto struggled against Sasuke's hold and finally was released as Sasuke raked his hands through his hair in frustration.

"What possessed you to send a child to a park by himself at night no less?" Sasuke positively roared.

"Hey it's not that far away…I felt bad for the little guy…"

"Where is the park, if you don't tell me right now I will kill you." Sasuke threatened, his glower scaring even a wasted Naruto. Naruto gave the directions, stuttering the whole time.

"If anything happens to the kid I will have your head." Sasuke warned and promptly left.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata had been thoroughly amused throughout the rest of the night, her friends had easily been able to calm her frazzled nerves and make her feel at peace. Though her thoughts were dominantly focused on Ryouichi, she was still able to enjoy herself and as such she found the time with her friends to be precious.

However when Tenten's phone had gone off and the bun haired girl's features changed to confusion as she received the call, Hinata's happy feelings instantly melted away. When the phone was handed to her Hinata's heart pounded and all she could hear was the blood rushing through her body. Something was _wrong._

Nervously casting glances at all her friends who encouraged her gently; Hinata spoke quietly into the receiver. "H-Hello…?"

"Hinata?" Tsunade answered and the guilt welled up into Hinata's being. Something was wrong and here she was having fun! "I don't want you to be alarmed, but something has happened."

"W-what do you m-mean…?" Hinata whispered still, it seemed her fear had caught her voice in its talons and was not letting go.

"It seems Sasuke has taken Ryouichi with him to a party at Ino's house. Now I checked the residence and Sasuke nor Ryouichi are at the house so Ryouichi must be with Sasuke, you have no reason to worry, but I fear Sasuke may have…forgotten his charge." Tsunade sounded subdued, embarrassed almost.

Hinata's heart stopped. "Where i-is the house?" Hinata asked as calmly as she could, trying to hold her tears at bay. This was all her fault she should never have agreed to this…she should have pushed harder, should have been stronger for Ryouichi…what if he was scared, hurt or worse?

"Hinata it's okay, I'm heading there now, I'll track them down so just try to enjoy you-"

"I can't enjoy myself knowing something is terribly wrong." Hinata's voice was steel though the framework of her statement was as polite as ever.

"…." Tsunade did not have much to say to that. "Fine."

After obtaining the address Hinata handed Tenten the phone and moved to get up.

"H-hey!" Tenten objected, confused beyond reason. "Where are you going Hinata-chan and who was that anyways?"

Hinata, beside herself, could no longer focus on the distractions that held her away from her child. "I h-have to go." She murmured quickly as she tried to make it to the door. Everyone else watched quietly, pensive. Tenten was not ready to let it go however.

Reaching out to grab Hinata's hand, Tenten started, "Hinata-chan, what's happening? If something is wrong we can he-" she was interrupted as Shikamaru's hand wrapped around her wrist and stopped her from reaching the petite indigo haired girl. Hinata turned and nodded her thanks solemnly before rushing out with her things. "Shikamaru we can't just let her go like that!"

"Yes we can." Shikamaru gave Tenten a pointed look, his eyes trying to convey his reasons.

"But…"

"Right now the only thing we can do is bother Hinata, we need to just be patient and be there for her when she needs us. The only thing we can do is wait." Tenten seemed adamant in her belief but she shook him off and turned to the others who could only stare.

"I'm guessing you guys feel the same?" Tenten scoffed in frustration.

"Though you may not want it to be, it is the truth." Shino replied.

"Whatever is wrong we should let Hinata deal with it, it's not our business to pry you know." Kiba voiced as well, moving to give Tenten a pat on the shoulder. Tenten's eyes welled up and she sat down stiffly,

"But the expression on her face…I feel so guilty!" Tenten sniffled, her eyes refusing to look up. "If I hadn't asked her to come…"

"It's not your fault Tenten. Things happen." Choji gently admonished.

"Yeah…but I still feel bad."

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke's first indication of the whereabouts of Ryouichi was his bag of things lying haphazardly on the grass close to the swing set. Upon further inspection a shoe was found just a few feet beyond that, and then its twin. All leading to the swing set.

And there was Ryouichi, sitting on a swing and staring at the ground.

Sasuke stood there for a few moments just watching the child and he seriously felt that if he had ever done wrong by someone, it was at this moment.

Watching Ryouichi sitting by himself reminded him of how he had felt all those years ago after the Uchiha massacre. Now looking back on it, the child Sasuke of back then would spit on the Sasuke of today.

What had gone so wrong? He had been bitter and angry and as such he grew cold. But did being cold mean he had to go and get drunk off his ass every night and enjoy the company of women? What would those things ever do to help him gain the revenge he so desperately wanted?

He was starting to think he seriously had a problem.

Sasuke's legs began to move on their own and before he knew it he was moving to sit on the swing next to Ryouichi's. The boy turned to look at him and then dismissed him as soon as he realized who it was.

They sat there side by side, son and father for a long while before Sasuke slowly ventured. "How long have you been here?"

It took a while but Ryouichi finally answered, "Since those idiots started acting funny." Sasuke smirked at his son's word choice. Sasuke was pretty sure that was a while back.

Sasuke looked up at the sky as if to find the answer to all his doubts. "You…must think I'm a terrible person."

Ryouichi kicked his feet in an effort to swing faster to no avail. "Not a bad person. Just a terrible father."

"Well you have to admit the role was sprung on me." Sasuke retorted, scuffing his heel into the gravel.

Ryouichi finally turned to his father and with a guarded look whispered so that Sasuke had to lean in to hear, "That is the first time you've admitted you're my father."

Sasuke coughed into his raised fist in awkwardness and pushed himself into a standing position. "Well don't get used to it." Ryouichi laughed without an inflection of happiness and made a face almost on par with Sasuke's sneer.

"Don't worry. I'm still hoping to find out it isn't you. I'd rather have any other person be my father." Sasuke cringed at the slight dig.

He wheeled around to face his son. "You think you can judge me just from what you've seen? You know nothing about me!" Sasuke yelled in indignation.

"Well from what you've presented, you're selfish, rude and you only think about yourself." Ryouichi retorted with a surprising amount of venom.

"Yeah well, you aren't really a happy discovery…" Sasuke sobered up fast. He watched as his son continued to kick futilely in order to swing but he still could not. Sighing, Sasuke moved behind the boy and pushed him forward. Ryouichi cried out in fear at first but stopped as he found himself flying through the air.

"Can I ask you something?" Ryouichi asked on his return trip down.

_Push_. "Hn." Sasuke grunted.

"Why did you turn out this way?" Sasuke paused for a moment at the question, missing a push.

He started once again. "I don't know. Hate? Anger? Wanting to rebel against everything at odds with me?"

"But why? My Okaa-san had lots of hardship but she turned them into positive things while you just hurt the people around you." Ryouichi started and then continued. "I heard that pink haired girl talk about you and how hurtful you can be."

Sasuke grabbed the chains of the swing to halt it. "Has anyone ever told you you're smart as hell?"

Ryouichi looked up and grinned for the first time in Sasuke's presence. "It's come up once or twice."

"Well everyone turns out differently." Sasuke answered Ryouichi's previous question.

"But I think you can still change." Ryouichi replied, slipping to the ground and looking expectantly towards the right. Sasuke was dumbstruck by the child's words before said child was swept up in another's arms.

"Ryouichi!" The feminine voice cried out in happiness, and Sasuke had to remind himself that he was in a terrible, self-wrought position.

"Okaa-san!" Ryouichi called happily, his arms wrapping around the petite woman in return as he was raised into the air. Sasuke didn't know what to do. He felt out of place in this touching reunion.

Hinata pulled herself away from her child long enough to ask him if he was okay. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Ryouichi patted his mother's cheeks, trying to console her as she cried.

"I will never leave you alone ever again I promise you Ryouichi." Hinata vowed, and she then turned her attention to Sasuke. He watched her apprehensively. He knew he was in for it.

_Slap. _And there it was.

"Y-you are the most disgusting man I've ever met." Hinata started, her eyes were as cold as ice. "You may not care about him, but if you take my Ryouichi away from me in any way I will not let it go." She raged, setting her son down so as not to jostle him in her anger. She stalked forward and pointed a finger in Sasuke's face, which was devoid of emotion even as he held a hand to his stinging cheek. "Who gave you the right to put him in danger? To think you could do something so entir-"

"Hinata! Sasuke!" Tsunade's voice was heard as she and three ANBU men moved to their side.

"Great." Sasuke mumbled under his breath and he wished he could just disappear.

"Hinata I'm so sorry that this has happened, I am extremely embarrassed," Tsunade moved towards Sasuke and grabbed his arm roughly lest he escaped. "I will make sure that Sasuke will be punished."

Hinata watched the two warily before sighing and hugging her son again. "I don't care anymore…I just want everything to go back to the way it was…"

"I'm sorry but that just cannot happen." Tsunade gave Hinata a pointed look to which she nodded in understanding. This set up was for a reason. Turning to Sasuke, her tone changed dramatically. "Uchiha Sasuke your actions are unacceptable. Tomorrow morning, the three of you will meet me in my office and you will learn your fate."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Tsunade but when his eyes caught Ryouichi's – eyes that were too wise for their age- Sasuke could only swallow the forming lump in his throat.

* * *

_Again I'm sorry it sucked, but this is where we slowly see Sasuke actually feel remorse. He will be punished not severely but by having to spend more time with Ryouichi which he's finding to not be such a drag. I had severe writer's block when I wrote this though I knew what would happen. I guess it was just hard to get the thoughts into written form when I haven't done it in so long. I will try my best next time though, okay? Also as usual, if you have comments, questions, and concerns or just want to guess what happens next, as you know I will always answer back no matter how long it takes! (I usually answer within the next day actually) I want to say thank you for all the reviews, 250+ for only eleven chapters? That is insane…thank you for your dedication and patience, I love each and every one of you, even the shadow readers. I just hope we can get it to 300! ;) You don't have to review to voice your comments or guesses, PM's are fine as well :)_

_Until next time,_

_Trinity Effect_


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Paying Dues

_Wow I'm churning these out faster than I expected! I'm not nearly as fast as the other people here on fan fiction but I like to give a lot of reading so it takes a while :) I was having some problems with this story because there is just so much going on and my hiatus made things hazy a bit but then I found a guide I had written for myself a while back and totally forgot so it got easier :) Sadly, I kinda drifted off of it a little but hopefully with this, I've gotten back._

**Important info pertaining to story!**

_Well, I have some interesting things to ask you. This story is actually growing in length and plotline as I continue to add to it (stupid Trinity Effect!) and so this story has gone from a twenty something chapter story in my head to a maybe even double than that story! Also the story line will become darker and more macabre as the story progresses. I'm very proud of my thought process and future plotline but I've dug myself a huge hole…just know it will follow pretty much the same line as the Akatsuki arc in Naruto but tweaked to work with the AU and Sasuke/Hinata/Ryouichi dynamic. If you haven't noticed yet, I've been slowly setting up for this plot (a few of you caught it! It's coming again in this chapter as well.). __**My question is**__: Do you want me to keep this story fluffy and light, or go with the darker, realistic storyline as it goes on? And if so, should I split the story into a two part story? So this light side will be the first story and I write a sequel with all of the other stuff? __**I won't continue until I get an answer! **__(This seems to be the only way I actually get an answer from you guys: P)_

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Paying Dues**

Sasuke groaned to himself as his eyes landed on the Hokage/principal when he entered the office.

If looks could kill, he would be dead. No analogy. Just dead.

He reluctantly moved towards the cherry wood desk in the center of the room and bowed towards Tsunade, knowing his best chance for survival would be respect. "Tsunade-sama." Sasuke murmured in greeting, surprisingly subdued. She didn't notice his eye roll when he bowed however.

"Please be seated Mr. Uchiha." Tsunade dismissed, not even glancing at the boy as she filed through papers. Sasuke sighed as he sat.

A part of him wanted to see Ryouichi again, the boy had left a deep impact on him and he wasn't quite sure what the feeling was exactly. It had been the first time that someone had been so utterly frank with him and yet still held hope that he could change. He didn't believe that himself but the thought was encouraging in itself.

Of course there was that side of him that truly thought he had no reason to change. That his life had gone smoothly enough with no consequence until the Hyuuga moved here and made his life hell.

But then again, Hinata had wanted nothing to do with him in the first place so he couldn't really blame her.

His eyes landed on the blonde Hokage once again but this time was accompanied by a glare. She was the reason for his hell now and she was only planning on making it worse.

He still held contempt of his whole situation and if he were asked he would still say he was being duped in some sick mind game, but he knew the truth set before his eyes. The best he could hope for was a few years of this torture and then being set free, paying child support for the remainder of his life but with no outside responsibilities. He wouldn't mind paying money; he had a lot to go around.

Hinata and Ryouichi entered the room after a quick rap on the door, which brought the attention of Sasuke and Tsunade up to the doorway. Sasuke's eyes first landed on the white-eyed girl before instantly moving down to the little boy whose hand she grasped tightly as they made their way to their seats. Ryouichi gave him a nonchalant glance before setting his attention back on his mother, easily crawling into her lap instead of sitting in the seat set in-between the two teenagers; lines were drawn and the boy was stating his side. Sasuke neutrally looked away, none the worse for wear.

"Hinata-chan, Ryouichi-chan, thank you for coming here on your day off." Hinata nodded amiably enough for her position and Ryouichi's eyes moved to gaze out of the window, bored.

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade pushed her stack of papers to the side of her slightly messy desk and intertwined her fingers in front of her mouth, her eyes moving furtively between the two sides. "First off I want to express my happiness at Ryouichi being safe. I had a terrible lapse in judgment and for that I apologize." Hinata could see in Tsunade's eyes that the regret was sincere.

"It's okay Tsunade-sama, I-I do not b-blame you." Her hand moved to gently pat the top of Ryouichi's head. He looked up at her with a small smile which Hinata reciprocated.

"Regardless, I shouldn't have been so forceful." Tsunade glared at Sasuke which he easily returned. "You on the other hand are a real piece of work aren't you?"

A smirk. "On my good days."

"This isn't a funny matter Sasuke, do you know if anything happened to Ryouichi, you could be thrown in jail for _life?" _Though the terms were a bit extremeSasuke bit his tongue as he grudgingly agreed.

"It's not like I meant for it to happen."

"We are only lucky it didn't get out of hand!" Tsunade's tone sharpened and Sasuke sat up a little straighter in surprise.

Folding his arms over his chest, Sasuke growled out angrily, eyes darting everywhere except the three other people in the room. "Fine. I acknowledge my actions were not in the best interest of the kid-"

"_Ryouichi_." Tsunade supplied bitterly.

"-_Ryouichi_-" Sasuke corrected with just as much vehemence. "and…" He sighed here. "I apologize." At this he turned to Hinata and actually looked her in the eyes as he said the words. Hinata blushed and looked into his eyes for any hint of a retraction in his apology. She didn't say anything to forgive him however. Ryouichi just sneered.

"Well then," Tsunade closed that part of the conversation, "Because of your lack of thought process last night, you know that punishments are in order." Sasuke nodded tiredly.

"Hinata-chan, there is a Parent Teacher meet and greet at Ryouichi's school this Monday, correct?" Tsunade asked in passing, her eyes glinting suspiciously.

"Ano, yes…?" Hinata answered reluctantly, slightly confused by the question. A sudden smile moved on Ryouichi's face and he deduced easily.

"He's coming with us for the meeting on Monday isn't he?" Tsunade chuckled at the boy's charming smile and nodded. Sasuke and Hinata both gaped.

"But people will see us t-together in public!"

"I don't want people knowing about this!"

Tsunade knew who they really meant. "No one that matters will know, if anything you will look like the guardians of the child you don't have to legitimately tell them you are Ryouichi's mother and father. Not to mention most of the parents will be too concerned with their children to bother with you."

Hinata was extremely awkward as she pushed her hair from her face in nervousness. "I don't know…"

"Trust me." Tsunade replied again, though more firmly. Hinata glanced at Tsunade suspiciously and Tsunade caught the meaning behind it: the last time I trusted you something bad happened.

Sasuke sighed and gave Tsunade a glare. "If I do this will you guys get off my back?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Well it wouldn't hurt." Tsunade was smirking now.

"Fine I'll go." Sasuke stood and stalked to the door, tired of the whole thing.

"A-ano wait!" Hinata called after her, quickly setting Ryouichi on his feet before dashing after the sullen boy. Sasuke sighed and stopped but didn't turn.

"What?"

"I c-can't accept any apology you give me right now because I meant what I s-said last night." Sasuke turned on his heel slightly so he could watch the indigo haired girl as she wrung her fingers in pensiveness. She looked up at him with those wide doe-like eyes and his breath stopped as she took the last few steps between them and raised her hand to lightly graze his cheek where the very same hand had smarted just recently.

Hinata seemed taken aback by the brashness of her own actions as she blushed brilliantly and dropped her hand. "I'm s-sorry for hitting you."

"It didn't even hurt." Sasuke mentioned in passing, his eyes not meeting her snowy white ones. He was worried of what he would find there.

"I j-just wanted to say that I c-cannot and will not forgive you." Sasuke almost gave a scream of exasperation. Then just what the hell did she want? "E-even you know that y-you are not the best man in the world," was she just trying to rub things in? "but I-I believe in second chances." Hinata turned back to the room they had just walked out of.

"See you on Monday." She gave him a tiny smile over her shoulder and walked back in.

Amazing how much an apology could change things.

OoOoOoOoO

After being ambushed by Tenten during lunch and having to relay most of the events of Friday (all lies of course) Hinata was finally able to relax among her friends, eating a sandwich she had made that morning.

"So are you sure everything with your aunt is fine now?" Tenten asked for the thirtieth time.

Hinata giggled and nodded. "Yeah, both baby and mommy are doing good now." She was surprised how easy it was to lie about something that had never happened. If she was to lie about real events however, she would totally bomb.

"Well that is very nice to hear." Shino interjected kindly, polishing up his beetle collection.

"Dude can you not do that here…? We're eating." Kiba murmured, watching the process with disgust.

"First off '_dude'_, where else would I go during lunchtime than spend it with you? Second, if you are not man enough to be able to eat while watching this I'm afraid you may as well wear the girl's uniform from now on." Shino deadpanned with the utmost seriousness.

"Argh Shino!" Kiba jumped to his feet and started to reach across the table. "I'm going to take that bug collection of yours and stuff it down your throat!" He raged as Lee and Shikamaru held him back.

"That would kill me." Shino said in passing, unmoved by the threat.

"Kiba calm down and stop being troublesome." Shikamaru drawled as he released his friend and slumped back into his seat.

"Aww, I was kinda hoping to see the match between Shino and Kiba, I'm sure Shino would wipe the ground with dog boy." Kiba glared at the boy who stated this through a mouthful of food.

"Choji why don't I just take those ribs and stuff them up you're a-"

"Okay!" Tenten clapped her hands and smiled brightly. Kiba turned to her in confusion. "Kiba-tan we can't talk about such things in the presence of a minor!" Tenten motioned to Hinata as if a show girl. Hinata blushed and blinked back at the rest cutely like a deer caught in headlights, a carrot halfway in her mouth.

_Like a rabbit…._The group thought in various degrees of shock at the amount of cuteness.

Hinata hurried chewed and swallowed before raising her hand just a tad. "Ano I'll be eighteen in four months!"

"Regardless!" Tenten shouted exuberantly. Then she said in a more mellow tone, "Hinata-chan you shouldn't enable these pigs we call men!"

"Not all men are what you call the 'pigs'!" Lee retorted, taking offense. "Men are valiant and they save the damsels in distress!"

"I think you mean knights' in shining armor…" Shikamaru supplied. "Not all men actually do that."

"Them too!"

As the conversation turned away from her, Hinata let her mind drift as she looked around the school grounds idly. Her eyes landed on Naruto's table and she was surprised to find that Neji wasn't sitting there. Sakura, Ino and Karin were talking animatedly as Sasuke and Naruto looked semi-bored.

Hinata's eyes landed on the blonde, totally skirting Sasuke in the process and a blush ran up her neck and cheeks at the sight of him. He was so handsome even as he made a goofy face in boredom. Naruto noticed her looking at him and perked up, waving happily. "Hellllo Hinata-chan!" Hinata blushed and waved in return before turning back to her friends quickly, thoroughly embarrassed at being caught.

Sasuke looked back to see what Naruto was waving at, but the girl who he was called wasn't even looking their way. "Dobe. She's not even looking at you." Naruto pouted.

When Hinata's friends looked at her strangely from her blushing tirade, she instantly wracked her mind for something to divert their attention. "Ano, why isn't Neji-san sitting with the others?"

"Huh?" Tenten looked over to see if the statement was true. "Oh yeah…he's probably at a meet again."

Lee nodded exuberantly. "I believe he went to Korea for his meet this time, he miraculously placed first in the semi-finals last month!"

"E-eh? What meet are you talking about?" Hinata asked as she placed her trash in a neat pile.

"Karate meet." Shino answered. And Hinata's eyes widened.

"Neji-san placed first in a K-Karate meet…?"

"Yeah, in nationals." Shikamaru murmured from his spot leaning against the fountain.

"Wow…" Hinata's eyes were as wide as saucers as she glanced back at his usual table with more respect than before.

_Neji-nii-san has really been doing well for himself…!_

Sadly, the longer he stayed away the better.

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke had a nice and quiet weekend to himself after that Saturday meeting concerning his punishment for his actions on Friday. Sasuke was fairly surprised at the way he was received considering the less than questionable actions he had portrayed that warranted such a meeting.

First, Ryouichi had simply contempt at the sight of him. Sure he had put the child in danger and had yelled at him. Oh and he'd denied the kid's existence. Not to mention put the child's life in _danger…_

Okay maybe he deserved the brush off. As soon as he realized how much he was looking forward to seeing the child, he had easily reevaluated his views and priorities and realized why he had wanted to so badly.

The child was the first one to call him out for what he was.

Sure the people who weren't positively in love with him –and that was a surprisingly small group of select people- did not think highly of him at all, but they had always simply put up with it, deeming him a lost cause or just allowing him to tickle his fancy. What a fancy it was too.

But this one child, the only difference being from the rest was the fact that his blood was flowing through his veins (it could also be why the kid had the audacity to call him out) had broken the cycle. That one difference had a very profound impact on Sasuke.

Other than that, Sasuke couldn't care less about the kid or Hinata.

That brought him to number two.

He was surprised at how little he got chew out. If he had seen another man commit the same actions as him, he would punish the guy ten times worse than what he had been dealt.

Hell what was that anyways?

It was as if Tsunade and Hinata were too tired to deal with him and his shenanigans anymore than they had to. He was punished and let go. He was even told sweetly that he was getting a second chance!

He scoffed at the second chance bit as soon as he had heard it but he was secretly glad that he had gotten it. When she had slapped him the night before and glared at him with those pearl eyes of hers he had seriously caught his breath in fear. Fear of what exactly he wasn't sure; it wasn't as if she could kill him but he was scared she might hate him for the rest of his life.

Which was funny because he didn't care who hated him up until now.

Sasuke finished up his in class work for the day and turned it in at the teacher's desk – Kakashi's- who was not present; instead he had a sign pointing to the assignments on his desk that said something probably meaning something more perverse than the request itself . '_Do me! :)'_

On his way back to his desk, his eyes lighted upon the Hyuuga girl whose tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she bent over her work, hair spilling over her shoulder.

_Stop thinking about her._

He shook his head at himself as he sat down, laying his head on his crossed arms and hoping to ignore the rest of the world for the rest of his _life_.

No such luck.

"Pssht!" the annoying sound came from his right side, signifying its owner to probably being Naruto. "PSSSSSSHT!" Sasuke growled angrily and whipped his head around to meet the sound.

"What the hell do you want?" Sasuke roared, miffed. The cheeky blonde blinked twice at him stupidly before a huge grin made its way across his face. A small piece of paper flicked its way onto his desk and Naruto laughed.

"I've always wanted to do stuff like this!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he reached for the offending paper. "You wanted to pass notes?"

"Yeah! Girls always look like they're having fun when they do th-Wait!" Sasuke stopped midway of opening the note and gave Naruto a glare. "Were not supposed to be talking! If we're talking it totally defeats the purpose and the girls in the movies don't do tha- Ah I'm still talking! I need to sto-"

"Naruto shut up and let me read this in silence or just god damn tell me yourself!" Naruto's mouth closed and he nodded determined not to utter a word. Sasuke sighed.

"Naruto not talking does not mean not breathing."

Naruto gasped as his lungs were finally able to get the oxygen they so clearly were lacking. "Thanks man! I-" Sasuke held a hand out to the blue-eyed boy and interrupted.

"Just shut up now okay?" Naruto nodded with a smile.

Finally getting the note open, Sasuke read the contents within.

_Hey Sasuke! I heard from Karin that there's this really cool party going down in warehouse six on the docks tonight, there's even going to be a DJ! You think you're down for it? _

_P.S.- Isn't writing notes fun?_

_P.P.S.- Oh wait! Write down an answer and give me the note back!_

_P.P.P.S- This is Naruto by the way!_

Sasuke seriously wanted to just reach over and bop Naruto over head. The boy was ridiculous!

"Have you gone to the doctor to get checked out recently?" Sasuke deadpanned as he placed his head in his hand.

"Eh? No…why?" Naruto inquired, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"Ask them to see if you're right in the head." Before Naruto had time to process his dig, Sasuke threw the paper slip back at his whiskered best friend. "I'm not even going to answer this because it was asked so stupidly."

"Hey!" Naruto retorted smartly, rubbing his forehead where the paper had hit. "It wasn't stupid, they do it in the movies!"

The bell rang before Sasuke could reply so he decided to not even make the effort. Placing the strap of his bag over his shoulder, Sasuke walked away from the blonde with every intention of ignoring him.

"Ne Sasuke!" Naruto tackled Sasuke from behind and Sasuke groan in frustration. Now having the dark-haired boy in his clutches, Naruto followed Sasuke pace as they walked to their lockers. "So can you answer me now?"

Sasuke mulled over the choice in his head and was surprised to find him mouth moving on its own accord. "I can't."

"Eh? Why not?" Naruto whined and Sasuke winced at the sound. Why hadn't he said yes so he didn't have to go through this torture?

Prying his arm away from Naruto, Sasuke put in the combination to his locker.

_Tell him you can go._ "I already have plans and anyways it's a school day."

"That's never stopped you before!" Naruto argued. Sasuke sighed and closed his locker after getting everything he needed out. He moved his face a few inches away from Naruto's which made the blonde blush at the awkwardness of the situation. "Dude personal space…"

"Read my lips right now Naruto_. I. Cannot. Go_. End of story." And with that Sasuke smirked and blew a fake kiss at the other boy before leaving without another glance.

_Three…Two…One…Bang._

"E-Eh? Teme what the hell were you trying to pull there, I'm not gay!" Naruto yelled as he dashed after the Uchiha.

The smirk grew wider.

OoOoOoOoO

When Hinata and Ryouichi walked up the steps of Konoha elementary, they were surprised to find Sasuke at the top awaiting them, hands in his pockets and scowl in place.

"Ah, hello U-Uchiha-san…" Hinata murmured in greeting, unable to get over her surprise.

"Sasuke." The man with the namesake told her solemnly. "If you want them to believe we know each other and are good guardians you should address me as if you know me." Hinata gulped and nodded.

"S-Sasuke-kun then." She gave him a shaky smile and motioned for them to follow the other children and parents into the building. He held the door open for Hinata and Ryouichi –neither male saying hello to each other- before entering the lobby himself.

There huge tables were set out along with staff manning each table. Signs standing on the tables directed them where to go. "Oh! There's t-third grade." Hinata pointed and tugged a reluctant Ryouichi and a following Sasuke towards the booth. Signs indicated them to go in a line for last names starting from S-Z.

Sasuke sighed at the sheer amount of people in the line; did everyone's last name have to start with the ending letters of the alphabet?

He was slightly surprised at the grade level of Ryouichi. He knew he was only four but to be going to third grade…he truly was an Uchiha, and he reminded him of a certain one in particular. _Don't think of him now…_

Looking down, he noticed that Ryouichi looked quite tired after a probably very stressful and long day and now having to stand in line for a long time. The child was teetering oddly and Sasuke felt a tiny bit of pity.

He didn't do anything to alleviate the child's suffering though.

It was then that a blue haired woman in her mid twenties approached them, a gentle smile on her face. "Ryouichi-kun, congratulations are in order." She bent down and ruffled said boy's hair affectionately.

Sasuke was surprised at the anger that ran through him as the stranger touched the kid. He moved closer to Ryouichi automatically and watched the woman with sharp eyes. The woman noticed his movement of mistrust and retracted her hand only to thrust it back out in the form of a handshake.

"Hello, I am Konan, Ryouichi's now former teacher." She smiled down at Ryouichi here which the boy replied coolly enough. She turned her attention back to Sasuke and her eyes widened slightly before her smile spread a little more and an eyebrow shot up a little. "And you must be Ryouichi's father…?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke answered quickly, as if stating his name made the awkward statement more true than it really was. And there could be no more truth than that.

"Ah, well it is very nice to meet you Uchiha-san. I must say you should truly be proud, a new prodigy is in the Uchiha's midst." Sasuke's hand met hers for the shake but his grip was stronger than intended at her words. She matched the hold easily. "I'm sorry but I must be going. It was nice meeting you Uchiha-san, Hyuuga-san." She let go of Sasuke's hand so she could bow respectfully. She then slipped her hand into her pocket and produced a beautiful flower made out of normal old newspaper that seemed lifelike in its arrayed beauty.

Smoothing out the final creases in the paper art, she bent down once again in order to hand it to the small boy. "If you could please excuse the girly theme Ryouichi-kun, I would like you to have this memento in order to remember our short time together." Ryouichi reached out both hands to receive the gift, actually awed by the beauty it held.

"Thank you sensei." He smiled and with a wave the teacher left as fast as she'd arrived. Hinata waved back and turned to Ryouichi.

"Wow she gave you such a nice present! Where will you keep it Ryouichi?"

"On my desk next to your picture." Ryouichi replied, still checking out the interesting flower.

But Sasuke couldn't be concerned with trivial things as that.

How did she know that Ryouichi wasn't the first prodigy of the Uchiha clan?

Though it was common knowledge that the Uchiha were very strong and very smart people, their best prodigy had lived a sheltered life until the age of thirteen when he'd been named heir to the Uchiha Corporation to the public.

This was because their heir was a prodigy of such a high caliber that he was in danger of being targeted.

Somehow the Uchiha had truly gotten _that_ wrong.

Sasuke was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he didn't notice they had reached the front of the line.

"Hello parents!" The woman smiled exuberantly but then was shocked into a blubbering mess at the young age of the woman and man before her, an even younger child between them. "Uhm…"

"Ano, hello." Hinata murmured blushing as the people behind them began to notice the hold up. The attention was making her nervous and she was soon blubbering just as the woman supposedly helping them had.

Sasuke sighed and gripped Hinata's arm as he leaned over the table and searched for Ryouichi's name. "There, Uchiha Ryouichi." He held his hand out as he waited for their packet of information, which the woman was having a hard time finding.

"Ah h-here it is!" the packet was thrust into his hand and Sasuke was just about to steer Hinata out of the way when the woman continued. "Ano, are you the brother and sister to Uchiha Ryouichi? Because if that is the case, you are not allowed to participate in tonight's activities, we need the adult guardians of the child." Sasuke turned back and glared at the woman as he had to now extend more energy for petty things.

Pointing to himself, Sasuke retorted quite annoyed, "Father." Then pointing to Hinata he stated again, "Mother." The pointing finger went back to him. "Of legal age."

And then with a pointed glare to everyone within the vicinity, Sasuke gently pushed Hinata out of the place in line and lifted Ryouichi into his arms as he stalked away as best he could under the circumstances. The family did not look back.

Hinata's eyes were still wide as she was pushed down into a seat in the average sized auditorium and the packet of information was placed in her stiff hands.

Sasuke sat down forcefully beside her, still fuming from the interaction that had just happened.

All of the sudden Ryouichi began to giggle.

Both teenagers snapped their gaze to the child, confusion marring their features. Ryouichi held his hands up to his face, trying to smother the chuckles that escaped his mouth to no avail. "That lady was very dumb." He tried to explain, and Sasuke found a small smirk making its way over his face. Hinata glance back and forth between the two Uchihas before a small smile flitted over her features as well.

"Ryouichi what have I s-said about calling people names?" But even as she admonished him, the smile only grew.

Rolling his eyes, Ryouichi mumbled under his breath. "It's not nice." Even quieter he said, "But when people deserve it it shouldn't be a big deal." Sasuke couldn't help the snort that left his mouth. The noise alerted Ryouichi and Sasuke to their current position and they glanced at each other oddly as they realized that Ryouichi was seated in Sasuke's lap.

Quite comfortably too. Both boys scowled at exactly the same time and turned away.

Just as Sasuke was about to drop his charge into his mother's lap, the lights dimmed in the auditorium and the presentation began.

Sasuke yawned for the fifth time as the dull video played about the things offered at Konoha Elementary. Ryouichi was already dozing off in his arms, his head drooping every five minutes and jerking him awake. Hinata sat watching diligently as she sorted through the papers within the packet he had given her.

Sasuke was taken aback at how easy this was to him. He had had no arguments or fights with Hinata and Ryouichi was being semi-normal with him. Why wasn't he fighting this as much as he had before? He had just gone with the flow and nothing had bit him in the butt yet, though the fact that he'd had to admit he was the father of Ryouichi didn't make him happy. That woman had pissed him off so much however, he felt like he owed it to her to shock her.

But if they had been ten years older, he could actually see this happening. Which was odd because he wasn't thinking about who would be there in his imaginary family from the future; he just imagined it the way it was at this moment with Hinata.

It was odd he had to admit, he'd never given that kind of life a chance in his head, the thoughts of commitment were only a hazy 'maybe' at the time. He was a man, there was no biological clock telling him to settle down and start a family before his body could no longer handle the process; that was a woman's issue. So now after one decent day with this new found family, he was already think these weird things that he shouldn't until he was at least thirty.

"S-Sasuke-kun," Hinata nudged him gently, and he turned to her, staring a little too intensely. She blushed and looked down. "Ano, after this video we have to go meet Ryouichi's teacher." She whispered. Sasuke sighed and nodded, glancing down at Ryouichi. Hinata's eyes followed his and she smiled at the now sleeping child. "I'm s-surprised at how quickly he's taken to you."

Sasuke scoffed. "Taken to me? He has yet to speak more than ten words to me." Hinata's eyes softened and she shook her head.

"T-trust me," Her hand reached out to Ryouichi's face and she pushed back his bangs. "He's wanted to see you for a very long time." Sasuke looked away, awkward at the emotion being displayed. He was allergic.

"You aren't stuttering as much anymore." Sasuke mentioned in passing, genuinely intrigued but mostly using the subject to change the topic.

"E-eh?" Sasuke turned to her and raised an eyebrow to which she actually smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry I-I don't generally notice it so when someone p-points it out, it tends to happen."

"Why do you think it's stopped?" Hinata looked up as she thought about it.

"I think…" She looked down at her hands for a few moments before meeting Sasuke's eyes. "B-before it was hard for me to a-approach you because...well you know. When you apologized however, y-you were very sincere it seemed…so…." When Sasuke's eyes clouded darkly Hinata faltered slightly. "Ano i-it could just be because Ryouichi is here; he n-never fails to make me calm."

"I've seen." Sasuke ended the conversation and focused his attention to the front where some of the faculty were introducing themselves.

Did he feel like he owed it to them after his recent escapades?

Or was he just getting soft?

"Just so you know, this doesn't mean anything to me." Hinata sighed and nodded quietly. However when she held her hands out to relieve Sasuke of Ryouichi's sleeping form, he shook his head and replied at her questioning glance, "Don't want to wake him."

Hinata couldn't turn fast enough for Sasuke to not see the knowing smile on her face.

Sasuke wished he could just hate her.

OoOoOoOoO

Sakura and Ino were sitting in Sakura's closet sitting room, piles of clothes, shoes and make up surrounding them as they had a girl's night in before the warehouse party.

Ino was using a brush to apply blue eye shadow to her eyelids while Sakura was standing in front of a full length mirror, currently trying on some pink heels.

"Hey Sakura-chan does this look good?" Ino turned around to show her friend who smiled and nodded.

"Maybe you should try a purple instead though, I think the blue washes out the color of your eyes." She turned back to her reflection and sighed, slightly depressed. The shoes she had been trying on flew into a growing pile in the corner of the room.

"I know that sigh, what's wrong?" Ino put down her makeup instruments and walked over to Sakura's side, joining her on the bench.

"I don't know…" Sakura replied truthfully. "I just feel depressed all the time these days…"

"What about some retail therapy? That usually gets you perked up in no time!" Ino smiled happily. It fell as Sakura pointed out the shoe pile she had just added to.

"That _was_ my retail therapy." She sighed again and threw her body back on the bench, laying a thin arm over her eyes. "I just feel like I'm not even worth it anymore."

Ino's eyebrows crashed down in confusion. "Not worth it to _who_ exactly…?"

Sakura's green eyes peered from under her arm. "I don't know. Sasuke…?" The sound of his name on her lips made her slump even further into her depression.

Ino sighed and began braiding her hair, trying to stay preoccupied. "Sakura-chan, we both like him and all, but why do you have to identify your worth through him? Even though I like him too I know not to rely on him for everything!" Sakura gave Ino a halfhearted glare that fizzled instantly.

"I know that, but I just can't help it." She looked up at the ceiling and traced the ornate embossing with her eyes. "It's just that…he means so much to me, I've loved him since the first time I met him." She sat up and watched Ino braiding her hair. "I mean I'm the first girl he ever became friends with and could actual stand for all of elementary school, and then all of the sudden all of that attention just goes away? It's just I'm so used to back then, I want it to go back to the way it was…"

"You know that can't happen." Ino stated realistically and Sakura sighed, pushing her hands through her pink hair and pulling it into a bun.

"Yeah but, I wish it would at least go back to the way it was before." Ino viewed herself in the mirror and gave Sakura a perplexed look through it.

"There you go not making sense again billboard brow, what is 'before' to you exactly if it isn't toddler days?" Sakura stuck her tongue out at the nickname.

"Ugh Ino-pig! Just the past two years I guess! I mean we're the closest girls to Sasuke-kun and now even I feel like I've been left behind." Sakura moved behind Ino to help her do her hair. "You should put it in a loose updo." She murmured and moved to do so.

They were silent for a while, working on the voluminous amounts of hair that toppled over Ino's shoulders. "When did you start feeling 'left behind' so to speak?"

Sakura pondered the question as she pushed bobby pins into place.

"Uhm…ever since that Hinata girl came around." Ino's eyes widened in surprise.

"But Sasuke and her are only lab partners at most, I've never seen her trying to even talk to him on her own."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "I know it's not her or anything…and I know that taking my anger out on her was stupid…"

"Well you weren't the only one." Ino interjected in a guilty tone.

"It's just that…I'm so jealous! Like Sasuke's never paid any attention to any other girls other than us who are around him all the time, and that's rare too! Like he goes out of his way for her…I don't know why but it's slightly unnerving…" Ino patted Sakura's hand in sympathy.

"I know what you mean but if that's Sasuke's actions, we can't keep hurting Hinata." Sakura nodded sadly.

"I know…maybe we should apologize?" Ino grinned and nodded.

"You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer!" Sakura giggled.

"But weren't you just saying she wasn't our enemy?"

Ino laughed good naturedly and turned to show Sakura the final product of her hair. Sakura gave her a thumbs up in approval. "I know I said that but it doesn't hurt to keep the girl that's got Sasuke's attention close."

"Well that's not the only thing…She looks familiar but I can't really recall how." Ino turned around in surprise, stopping halfway of pulling her dress on.

"You too? When I first saw her I felt a wave of nostalgia but she doesn't really look like anyone I remember…I mean the eyes are unique, which we found out was just because she was a distant relative of Neji but still…" Sakura put earrings in and touched up her lip gloss.

"I don't know…a lot of things have gotten a bit peculiar since she moved here…like that nephew of Sasuke's he brought to the party!" Sakura gasped in realization at her own words. "Yeah, because don't you remember Itachi is the only one who's still alive other than Sasuke and Sasuke hates him; he wouldn't take care of his child…."

"You're right…I guess we weren't 'all there' to even put two and two together…" Ino gazed uncertainly at her pink haired friend. "But that doesn't have anything to do with Hinata, it's a coincidence right?"

Sakura nodded. "It should be because how would that kid have anything to do with Hinata anyway? That doesn't make any sense…unless it was her child or something but Itachi wouldn't be with anyone."

Ino and Sakura glanced at one another before bursting out laughing.

"Sakura-chan you went a little too far on that one!" They quieted down, still smiling for the oddity of the previous statement.

"But Ino-chan, don't you want to know how Hinata is so familiar?" Ino shrugged noncommittally.

"Eh, you know how they say you have seven look-a-likes in your lifetime…maybe it's just another coincidence."

Sakura wouldn't let it go however. "But her name is so familiar…I feel like I've heard it before…"

Ino sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend as she handed her a pair of black peep toes. "Wear these." Sakura took them gratefully. "And if the Hinata thing bothers you so much why don't you look her up sometime?"

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "What, like do research on her?" The two stepped out of the room and walked downstairs to leave.

"Sure." Ino smirked and wagged a finger at her friend. "Maybe you can feel worth something, like a cop or something fun like that billboard brow."

"Shut up Ino-pig!"

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke was being surprisingly compliant. It almost made her want to call foul.

But then again, maybe he was just tired of fighting all the time, he did seem fairly neutral about the whole child topic now and after putting Ryouichi in danger he had seriously seemed sorry for what he did.

She had felt very bad for slapping him in her moment of anger but it had somehow made him complacent and oddly comforting to be around. When she had had trouble with the lady administering the packets with all of the details about the school, Sasuke had been the one to back her up and solve the problem. And he hadn't made her pay up for the kindness either.

But after he had told her this meant nothing to him, she had to wonder if this was just a onetime thing.

She didn't expect this to be a long term relationship between father, mother and child but she was hoping that they could get along until this charade ended and he moved on with his life or when Tsunade stopped torturing them. Sasuke was surprisingly over protective of Ryouichi and he still refused to let go of the sleeping child as they walked to Ryouichi's new classroom.

Hinata smiled timidly up at Sasuke who just glanced expectantly at the open door so Hinata knocked on the frame before a voice was heard from the other side. "Come in."

Sasuke shrugged at her when she looked at him again and led the way in, peering at the obviously childish classroom for the source of the voice. "Ah, hello." The distinctly male voice cut through again smoothly, and a red haired man stood from his seat at a desk, meeting them halfway and shaking hands with them.

"H-Hello, I am Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Ryouichi's…g-guardian…?" She looked to Sasuke to make sure her introduction was correct. He ignored her.

"I am Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke shifted positions in order to properly shake hands with the teacher before them.

"I am Sasori, Ryouichi's third grade teacher. It's pleasure to meet you both." Sasuke's eyes lighted upon the ring resting on the red headed man's left thumb.

"Nice ring, what does the kanji read?" Sasuke asked off-handedly as they sat at the chairs before the teacher's desk. Sasori smiled and fingered the ring.

"It reads 'sphere' or 'jewel'. It's extremely important." His smile showed that the conversation would go no farther in that direction. Sasuke smirked and nodded his approval.

"A-ano, I would like to extend m-my gratitude in your teaching Ryouichi, I hope he's been no problem to you so far…?" Hinata smiled shyly and bowed in her seat respectfully.

"Oh no, he's been no trouble at all, excellent student already and making great progress; a little bit of a setback is to be expected because of the sudden change and age difference." Sasori's smile faltered slightly. "I do have one concern however…"

"What is it Sasori-san, please tell me if there's anything I c-can do!" Sasori shook his head and sighed.

"It isn't a problem yet per say."

"Well then, what is it exactly?" Sasuke voiced, his eyes boring into Sasori.

"My concern is that since Ryouichi's age difference is so big compared to the others he may have problems fitting in." Hinata shakily nodded and expressed her concerns. "Hyuuga-san it's quite alright, Ryouichi seems to be a well adjusted boy and Konan-san would not have transferred him if she did not believe he could handle it and I trust her judgment. Just invest your time in Ryouichi when it comes to making sure he's staying happy and everything should be fine." The calm smile returned.

"Okay, so that's it?" Sasuke deadpanned, wondering why he would even bring up the thought when it was his only solution to watch the child.

Looking around to make sure he didn't misplace anything or forget, Sasori took a piece of paper and wrote something down before handing it to Hinata. "Here is my number and email if you ever need to get a hold of me." Replacing his pen back into his pocket, the man stood and held a hand out to the two teenagers yet again. "I'm sorry for the rushed meeting but I have some parents still lined up. It was nice meeting both of you."

"Likewise Sasori-san." Hinata smiled and received the paper, tucking it into her pocket.

Sasuke didn't even say anything as he walked out of the room. "Oh, and Hyuuga-san don't forget to tell Ryouichi I said hi when he wakes up." Hinata giggled into her hand.

"Of course Sasori-san, it was a pleasure to m-meet you!"

Sasuke and Hinata were quiet as they walked down the hallway and out the front door to the school.

"Ano, t-thank you for coming today." Hinata blushed and scuffed her foot on the ground, unsure of where they stood after the event was over. Hinata took Ryouichi from his arms and positioned him on her hip.

Sasuke ran his hands through his hair and looked away. "It's fine, if that's all it is, it's not a big deal."

Hinata chuckled and Sasuke watched her from the corner of his eye. "It's u-usually all there is."

It was silent for a few moments as neither person knew what to say next.

"Do you need a ride?" Sasuke asked to break the silence, sincerely offering.

Hinata looked around quickly before setting a comforted smile on her face. "O-our house isn't t-too far from here s-so I can walk." Sasuke shrugged and began to walk to his car, Hinata following him.

"I thought you said you were walking."

Hinata's blush moved down to her neck. "A-ano I am, it just happens to b-be in the same direction." Sasuke almost slapped himself at the accusation he made.

"Hn."

Hinata opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but then closed it. Sasuke sighed and humored her. "What?"

"A-ah!" Hinata gasped and shifted her eyes away awkwardly. "Uhm…S-Sasuke-kun, you are actually v-very kind when you w-want to be and I just wanted to say that I-I hope you c-continue to be a p-part of Ryouichi's life." Hinata then briskly began to walk away, not even looking back or waiting for an answer as she left him in the parking lot, alone.

_Who said I wanted to be a part of his life? I was only doing this to pay back my dues…_

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata strolled quietly in the dark and silent night, relishing the cool breeze that relaxed her even with the dangers of the night moving around her.

Mostly her thoughts encompassed the dark Uchiha who had made a very good impression on her that night. She honestly never thought Sasuke could be as courteous as he was and she sincerely hoped he continued to act this way towards Ryouichi; He did deserve a father who cared.

But it seemed Sasuke's personality had done a full one-eighty and Hinata was worried about the short time it had happened within. What happened to the man she knew who hated her very being and wanted nothing to do with them and just as easily said so? She could deal with that guy; he was predictable unlike this new Sasuke she was seeing.

He did have his own moments of rejection though, as when he had told her that the event had meant nothing to him. He had meant that the emotions and meaning behind the actions were considered nothing to him.

She could deal with that she guessed, though it did sting to hear him say that about Ryouichi. If he hated her, she was okay with that she could handle it but Ryouichi needed his father.

She had been totally against bringing Sasuke into their lives, but she could see what Tsunade had meant when she had said this was just as much for Sasuke as it was for Ryouichi; she had never seen Sasuke actually want to defend someone as he did when Konan had approached Ryouichi.

She smiled to herself at the thought. Maybe there was something there to still hope for.

When Hinata approached her apartment door, sleeping Ryouichi in tow, she found a man standing there waiting for her. Well, leaning on the door.

Hinata's steps faltered as she moved closer to her house; she couldn't leave but she didn't want to have a scuffle with a man larger than her and Ryouichi in her arms; it would never work out in her favor.

Hinata reached the threshold and timidly called out, "Ano, h-hello do you need something?"

The man turned to her and a sneer made its way over his face as he stood up to his full height and nodded in greeting. His hair was grey but with an almost purplish hue to it. His lips were painted a teal color and beady eyes glared at her appraisingly. "Hello Hyuuga-chan, the rent please?"

Hinata's eyes widened as her heart started pounding. "A-ano Sakon-san I a-already paid for last month and this m-month, you said so when you t-took the rent." The man raised a brow, a toothy smirk gracing his pale features.

"When I took the rent? Oh!" The man took to inspecting his nails which were already dirty with grime and who knew what else. He gave her a glance as if she was something of little interest. "You must have been mistaken, Sakon is my brother. I am Ukon, the more heartless one." He leered at her strangely. "So I ask again Hyuuga-chan, the rent for this month please?" He held his hand out greedily.

_I don't have enough for another payment of rent! _"B-but, Sakon-san took t-two months worth…"

Ukon scoffed. "So? I can't be held liable for my brother's actions." He noticed her hesitant face. "Unless that means…you don't have the money?"

Hinata's eyes welled with tears and she shook her head. "I-I'm sorry but th-that's all the m-money I had on h-hand. C-can I give it to y-you as I get the money?"

"Does it look like I run a charity here? If you don't got the money when I ask for it, you don't get to stay." He turned away and threw over his shoulder in a bored tone. "You'll be getting an eviction notice from us in twenty-four hours. If you don't move out twenty-four hours after receiving the slip, you'll be in some serious trouble missy. I would say pleasure doing business with you, but Hyuuga-chan, you can see why I would hesitate."

Hinata stood there in shock as the gravity of her situation hit her full force.

_In forty-eight hours we'll be homeless._

The tears fell.

* * *

_So now we see Sasuke putting up with his duties with almost no fighting which is progress! Now we will see Sasuke not being so douche-y and more his actual character. The reason he was so terrible was because he was fighting against something that seemed almost unrealistic to him, he got defensive and as such became more primal and rude acting as he was cornered. Also we see that Sakura and Ino aren't all bad, which people were worried I was bashing them haha. I would never bash a character and I've found that I've grown to like Sakura more and more as I write this story( I disliked her before): her dynamics are just so passionate you can't help but identify with it in a way. They are not the bad guys in this story but I do need them for some of the conflict so please bear with me there!_

_Did you notice a part of the story come back? ;) If you didn't, go read chapter five again and then look again, it's totally obvious (the Ukon and Sakon thing!) If you know me, and you readers do now very well, I never write something on mistake. Everything has a tie to the story and this is proof! Go look for more!_

_If you haven't already done so, please read my other story and tell me what you think! As I said before it's a totally different read than this one and as such I want your input, seriously!_

_Thank you for making this story reach 300 reviews and counting already! I am so very thankful and love each and every one of you. And all you shadow readers, don't be shy! Until next time._

_Trinity Effect_

e wouHe would


	14. Author's note

Hey everyone, I know that this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but classes are starting up again for the fall and that means I must go on Hiatus once again. I promise to work hard and try my best to get stuff out, but this year is quite important and as such I won't have the time. Please understand and I hope you'll continue to enjoy and read my stories as they are updated.

Thank you so much for all of your praise and support, I love each and every one of you and I'm so happy that something that seems so insignificant at first can be shared with all of you and make me as happy as it has made me. Every day I think about the family here on fanfiction, each one of whom are so encouraging, thoughtful and bright with so much to offer.

The next story I will be updating will be 'The Little Things in Life'(this may only be updated way later but it will be the one I start with), and after that, the updates will end up being whichever story gets the most reviews for the last chapter that is posted. This is because both of my stories have a big reading pool and I want whoever is most excited for it, to get the chance to read. Also this is more fair to the more zealous readers ;)

Also some extra news, Hinaxanyone has made a wonderful fanart piece for my story 'Libido', please go view it and give her your support! If anyone else wants to make fanart for any of my stories I would be so happy! XD If you want to ask me questions to get a better understanding of a scene in order to, don't hesitate to ask, also I have one future scene of Libido that I really want to see come to life; I may even commission for it if people are willing…let's get to that point in the story first though ;)

Also if you haven't already, I wrote a teaser for the third story I'm going to write (yes this means it will continue!) called 'Towards the Sun'. Please go read it if you haven't already and give me your honest opinions and critics. I treasure everything each and every one of you has to say, so please don't be shy.

Don't fret, I will be continuing these stories, I won't stop until I do and this summer is proof that I haven't given up and I will continue to write even after long absences. This sounds like a goodbye letter, but it is just the beginning, if I don't update during the fall semester, please look out for me during winter break!

Until next time,

Trinity Effect


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